The Path

Proverbs 24

World English Bible · Public Domain

¹ Don’t be envious of evil men; neither desire to be with them:

² for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about mischief.

³ Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;

⁴ by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.

⁵ A wise man has great power; and a knowledgeable man increases strength;

⁶ for by wise guidance you wage your war; and victory is in many advisors.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool: he doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.

⁸ One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.

⁹ The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.

¹⁰ If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.

¹¹ Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

¹² If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this”; doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?

¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good; the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste:

¹⁴ so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul; if you have found it, then there will be a reward, your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵ Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place:

¹⁶ for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷ Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown;

¹⁸ lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers; neither be envious of the wicked:

²⁰ for there will be no reward to the evil man; and the lamp of the wicked shall be snuffed out.

²¹ My son, fear Yahweh and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious:

²² for their calamity will rise suddenly; the destruction from them both—who knows?

²³ These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.

²⁴ He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous”; peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—

²⁵ but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.

²⁶ An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

²⁷ Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.

²⁸ Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.

²⁹ Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”

³⁰ I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

³¹ Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:

³³ a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep;

³⁴ so your poverty will come as a robber, and your want as an armed man.

James 3

World English Bible · Public Domain

¹ Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.

² For in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn’t stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.

³ Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body.

⁴ Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires.

⁵ So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!

⁶ And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.

⁷ For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and sea creature, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind;

⁸ but nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹ With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God.

¹⁰ Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

¹¹ Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water?

¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.

¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth.

¹⁵ This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.

¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

¹⁸ Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.