Proverbs 24 | Brenton English and Greek Septuagint

Brenton 24:1

My son, envy not bad men, nor desire to be with them.

Brenton 24:2

For their heart meditates falsehoods, and their lips speak mischiefs.

Brenton 24:3

A house is built by wisdom, and is set up by understanding.

Brenton 24:4

By discretion the chambers are filled with all precious and excellent wealth.

Brenton 24:5

A wise man is better than a strong man; and a man who has prudence than a large estate.

Brenton 24:6

War is carried on with generalship, and aid is supplied to the heart of a counsellor.

Brenton 24:7

Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: the wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,

Brenton 24:8

but deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed men.

Brenton 24:9

The fool also dies in sins; and uncleanness attaches to a pestilent man.

Brenton 24:10

He shall be defiled in the evil day, and in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.

Brenton 24:11

Deliver them that are led away to death, and redeem them that are appointed to be slain; spare not thy help.

Brenton 24:12

But if thou shouldest say, I know not this man; know that the Lord knows the hearts of all; and he that formed breath for all, he knows all things, who renders to every man according to his works.

Brenton 24:13

My son, eat honey, for the honeycomb is good, that thy throat may be sweetened.

Brenton 24:14

Thus shalt thou perceive wisdom in thy soul: for if thou find it, thine end shall be good, and hope shall not fail thee.

Brenton 24:15

Bring not an ungodly man into the dwelling of the righteous: neither be deceived by the feeding of the belly.

Brenton 24:16

For a righteous man will fall seven times, and rise again: but the ungodly shall be without strength in troubles.

Brenton 24:17

If thine enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.

Brenton 24:18

For the Lord will see it, and it will not please him, and he will turn away his wrath from him.

Brenton 24:19

Rejoice not in evil-doers, neither be envious of sinners.

Brenton 24:20

For the evil man shall have no posterity: and the light of the wicked shall be put out.

Brenton 24:21

My son, fear God and the king; and do not disobey either of them.

Brenton 24:22

For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, and who can know the vengeance inflicted by both?

Brenton 24:22a

[A son that keeps the commandment shall escape destruction; for such an one has fully received it.

Source notes (2)

Heb. omits to the end.
Lit. be outside of.

Brenton 24:22b

Let no falsehood be spoken by the king from the tongue; yea, let no falsehood proceed from his tongue.

Brenton 24:22c

The king's tongue is a sword, and not one of flesh; and whosoever shall be given up to it shall be destroyed:

Brenton 24:22d

for if his wrath should be provoked, he destroys men with cords,

Brenton 24:22e

and devours men's bones, and burns them up as a flame, so that they are not even fit to be eaten by the young eagles.

Brenton 24:22f

My son, reverence my words, and receive them, and repent.] These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.

Brenton 24:22g

For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men.

Brenton 24:22h

God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the holy.

Brenton 24:22i

Who has gone up to heaven, and come down? who has gathered the winds in his bosom? who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? who has dominion of all the ends of the earth? what is his name? or what is the name of his children?

Brenton 24:22k

For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence him.

Brenton 24:22l

Add not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be made a liar.

Brenton 24:22m

Two things I ask of thee; take not favour from me before I die.

Brenton 24:22n

Remove far from me vanity and falsehood: and give me not wealth or poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient:

Brenton 24:22o

lest I be filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and steal, and swear vainly by the name of God.

Brenton 24:22p

Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be utterly destroyed.

Brenton 24:22q

A wicked generation curse their father, and do not bless their mother.

Brenton 24:22r

A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse their way.

Brenton 24:22s

A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids.

Brenton 24:22t

A wicked generation have swords for teeth and jaw-teeth as knives, so as to destroy and devour the lowly from the earth, and the poor of them from among men.

Brenton 24:23

And this thing I say to you that are wise for you to learn: It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

Brenton 24:24

He that says of the ungodly, He is righteous, shall be cursed by peoples, and hateful among the nations.

Brenton 24:25

But they that reprove him shall appear more excellent, and blessing shall come upon them;

Brenton 24:26

and men will kiss lips that answer well.

Brenton 24:27

Prepare thy works for thy going forth, and prepare thyself for the field; and come after me, and thou shalt rebuild thine house.

Brenton 24:28

Be not a false witness against thy fellow citizen, neither exaggerate with thy lips.

Brenton 24:29

Say not, As he has treated me, so will I treat him, and I will avenge myself on him for that wherein he has injured me.

Brenton 24:30

A foolish man is like a farm, and a senseless man is like a vineyard.

Brenton 24:31

If thou let him alone, he will altogether remain barren and covered with weeds; and he becomes destitute, and his stone walls are broken down.

Source notes (1)

Gr. grass.

Brenton 24:32

Afterwards I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.

Brenton 24:33

The sluggard says, I slumber a little, and I sleep a little, and for a little while I fold my arms across my breast.

Brenton 24:34

But if thou do this, thy poverty will come speedily; and thy want like a swift courier.

Brenton 24:35

The horse-leech had three dearly-beloved daughters: and these three did not satisfy her; and the fourth was not contented so as to say, Enough.

Brenton 24:36

The grave, and the love of a woman, and the earth not filled with water; water also and fire will not say, It is enough.

Brenton 24:37

The eye that laughs to scorn a father, and dishonours the old age of a mother, let the ravens of the valleys pick it out, and let the young eagles devour it.

Brenton 24:38

Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth I know not:

Brenton 24:39

the track of a flying eagle; and the ways of a serpent on a rock; and the paths of a ship passing through the sea; and the ways of a man in youth.

Brenton 24:40

Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.

Brenton 24:41

By three things the earth is troubled, and the fourth it cannot bear:

Brenton 24:42

if a servant reign; or a fool be filled with food;

Brenton 24:43

or if a maid-servant should cast out her own mistress; and if a hateful woman should marry a good man.

Brenton 24:44

And there are four very little things upon the earth, but these are wiser than the wise:

Brenton 24:45

the ants which are weak, and yet prepare their food in summer;

Brenton 24:46

the rabbits also are a feeble race, who make their houses in the rocks.

Brenton 24:47

The locusts have no king, and yet march orderly at one command.

Brenton 24:48

And the eft, which supports itself by its hands, and is easily taken, dwells in the fortresses of kings.

Brenton 24:49

And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes along finely.

Brenton 24:50

A lion's whelp, stronger than all other beasts, which turns not away, nor fears any beast;

Brenton 24:51

and a cock walking in boldly among the hens, and a goat leading the herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation.

Brenton 24:52

If thou abandon thyself to mirth, and stretch forth thine hand in a quarrel, thou shalt be disgraced.

Brenton 24:53

Milk out milk, and there shall be butter, and if thou wring one's nostrils there shall come out blood: so if thou extort words, there will come forth quarrels and strifes.

Brenton 24:54

My words have been spoken by God—the oracular answer of a king, whom his mother instructed.

Brenton 24:55

What wilt thou keep, my son, what? the words of God. My firstborn son, I speak to thee: what? son of my womb? what? son of my vows?

Brenton 24:56

Give not thy wealth to women, nor thy mind and living to remorse. Do all things with counsel: drink wine with counsel.

Brenton 24:57

Princes are prone to anger: let them then not drink wine:

Brenton 24:58

lest they drink, and forget wisdom, and be not able to judge the poor rightly.

Brenton 24:59

Give strong drink to those that are in sorrow, and the wine to drink to those in pain:

Brenton 24:60

that they may forget their poverty, and may not remember their troubles any more.

Brenton 24:61

Open thy mouth with the word of God, and judge all fairly.

Brenton 24:62

Open thy mouth and judge justly, and plead the cause of the poor and weak.