TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 24

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Do not envy evil men Do not desire to be with them;

אאַל־תְּקַנֵּא בְּאַנְשֵׁי רָעָה וְאַל־תתאו [תִּתְאָיו] לִהְיוֹת אִתָּם׃

2For their hearts talk violence, And their lips speak mischief.

בכִּי־שֹׁד יֶהְגֶּה לִבָּם וְעָמָל שִׂפְתֵיהֶם תְּדַבֵּרְנָה׃

3A house is built by wisdom, And is established by understanding;

גבְּחָכְמָה יִבָּנֶה בָּיִת וּבִתְבוּנָה יִתְכּוֹנָן׃

4By knowledge are its rooms filled With all precious and beautiful things.

דוּבְדַעַת חֲדָרִים יִמָּלְאוּ כָּל־הוֹן יָקָר וְנָעִים׃

5A wise man is strength; A knowledgeable man exerts power;

הגֶּבֶר־חָכָם בַּעוֹז וְאִישׁ־דַּעַת מְאַמֶּץ־כֹּחַ׃

6For by stratagems you wage war, And victory comes with much planning.

וכִּי בְתַחְבֻּלוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ מִלְחָמָה וּתְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹב יוֹעֵץ׃

7Wisdom is too lofty for a fool; He does not open his mouth in the gate.

זרָאמוֹת לֶאֱוִיל חָכְמוֹת בַּשַּׁעַר לֹא יִפְתַּח־פִּיהוּ׃

8He who lays plans to do harm Is called by men a schemer.

חמְחַשֵּׁב לְהָרֵעַ לוֹ בַּעַל־מְזִמּוֹת יִקְרָאוּ׃

9The schemes of folly are sin, And a scoffer is an abomination to men.

טזִמַּת אִוֶּלֶת חַטָּאת וְתוֹעֲבַת לְאָדָם לֵץ׃

10If you showed yourself slack in time of trouble, Wanting in power,

יהִתְרַפִּיתָ בְּיוֹם צָרָה צַר כֹּחֶכָה׃

11If you refrained from rescuing those taken off to death, Those condemned to slaughter—

יאהַצֵּל לְקֻחִים לַמָּוֶת וּמָטִים לַהֶרֶג אִם־תַּחְשׂוֹךְ׃

12If you say, “We knew nothing of it,” Surely He who fathoms hearts will discern [the truth], He who watches over your life will know it, And He will pay each man as he deserves.

יבכִּי־תֹאמַר הֵן לֹא־יָדַעְנוּ זֶה הֲ‍לֹא־תֹכֵן לִבּוֹת הוּא־יָבִין וְנֹצֵר נַפְשְׁךָ הוּא יֵדָע וְהֵשִׁיב לְאָדָם כְּפָעֳלוֹ׃

13My son, eat honey, for it is good; Let its sweet drops be on your palate.

יגאֱכָל־בְּנִי דְבַשׁ כִּי־טוֹב וְנֹפֶת מָתוֹק עַל־חִכֶּךָ׃

14Know: such is wisdom for your soul; If you attain it, there is a future; Your hope will not be cut off.

ידכֵּן דְּעֶה חָכְמָה לְנַפְשֶׁךָ אִם־מָצָאתָ וְיֵשׁ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָתְךָ לֹא תִכָּרֵת׃

15Wicked man! Do not lurk by the home of the righteous man; Do no violence to his dwelling.

טואַל־תֶּאֱרֹב רָשָׁע לִנְוֵה צַדִּיק אַל־תְּשַׁדֵּד רִבְצוֹ׃

16Seven times the righteous man falls and gets up, While the wicked are tripped by one misfortune.

טזכִּי שֶׁבַע יִפּוֹל צַדִּיק וָקָם וּרְשָׁעִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ בְרָעָה׃

17If your enemy falls, do not exult; If he trips, let your heart not rejoice,

bin-FOL o-yiv-KHA al tis-MAKH u-vi-ka-sh'-LO al ya-GAYL li-BE-kha

יזבִּנְפֹל אויביך [אוֹיִבְךָ] אַל־תִּשְׂמָח וּבִכָּשְׁלוֹ אַל־יָגֵל לִבֶּךָ׃

 24:17   If your enemy falls, do not exult

Sadly, it is not uncommon for Israel’s enemies to celebrate news of terror attacks by handing out candy in the streets. Here, the Bible emphasizes universal feelings of sympathy and compassion for all, and warns against rejoicing at the downfall of our enemies. For this reason, when the Jewish people celebrate the Exodus at the Pesach seder each year, they remove some of the wine in their cups, to sympathize with the Egyptian suffering that happened in the process. In this way, even thousands of years later, the Jewish People symbolically diminish their joy because of the pain experienced by their Egyptian enemies.

18Lest Hashem see it and be displeased, And avert His wrath from him.

יחפֶּן־יִרְאֶה יְהֹוָה וְרַע בְּעֵינָיו וְהֵשִׁיב מֵעָלָיו אַפּוֹ׃

19Do not be vexed by evildoers; Do not be incensed by the wicked;

יטאַל־תִּתְחַר בַּמְּרֵעִים אַל־תְּקַנֵּא בָּרְשָׁעִים׃

20For there is no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked goes out.

ככִּי לֹא־תִהְיֶה אַחֲרִית לָרָע נֵר רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ׃

21Fear Hashem, my son, and the king, And do not mix with dissenters,

כאיְרָא־אֶת־יְהֹוָה בְּנִי וָמֶלֶךְ עִם־שׁוֹנִים אַל־תִּתְעָרָב׃

22For disaster comes from them suddenly; The doom both decree who can foreknow?

כבכִּי־פִתְאֹם יָקוּם אֵידָם וּפִיד שְׁנֵיהֶם מִי יוֹדֵעַ׃

23These also are by the sages: It is not right to be partial in judgment.

כגגַּם־אֵלֶּה לַחֲכָמִים הַכֵּר־פָּנִים בְּמִשְׁפָּט בַּל־טוֹב׃

24He who says to the guilty, “You are innocent,” Shall be cursed by peoples, Damned by nations;

כדאֹמֵר לְרָשָׁע צַדִּיק אָתָּה יִקְּבֻהוּ עַמִּים יִזְעָמוּהוּ לְאֻמִּים׃

25But it shall go well with them who decide justly; Blessings of good things will light upon them.

כהוְלַמּוֹכִיחִים יִנְעָם וַעֲלֵיהֶם תָּבוֹא בִרְכַּת־טוֹב׃

26Giving a straightforward reply Is like giving a kiss.

כושְׂפָתַיִם יִשָּׁק מֵשִׁיב דְּבָרִים נְכֹחִים׃

27Put your external affairs in order, Get ready what you have in the field, Then build yourself a home.

כזהָכֵן בַּחוּץ מְלַאכְתֶּךָ וְעַתְּדָהּ בַּשָּׂדֶה לָךְ אַחַר וּבָנִיתָ בֵיתֶךָ׃

28Do not be a witness against your fellow without good cause; Would you mislead with your speech?

כחאַל־תְּהִי עֵד־חִנָּם בְּרֵעֶךָ וַהֲפִתִּיתָ בִּשְׂפָתֶיךָ׃

29Do not say, “I will do to him what he did to me; I will pay the man what he deserves.”

כטאַל־תֹּאמַר כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה־לִי כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה־לּוֹ אָשִׁיב לָאִישׁ כְּפָעֳלוֹ׃

30I passed by the field of a lazy man, By the vineyard of a man lacking sense.

לעַל־שְׂדֵה אִישׁ־עָצֵל עָבַרְתִּי וְעַל־כֶּרֶם אָדָם חֲסַר־לֵב׃

31It was all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with chickweed, And its stone fence lay in ruins.

לאוְהִנֵּה עָלָה כֻלּוֹ קִמְּשֹׂנִים כָּסּוּ פָנָיו חֲרֻלִּים וְגֶדֶר אֲבָנָיו נֶהֱרָסָה׃

32I observed and took it to heart; I saw it and learned a lesson.

לבוָאֶחֱזֶה אָנֹכִי אָשִׁית לִבִּי רָאִיתִי לָקַחְתִּי מוּסָר׃

33A bit more sleep, a bit more slumber, A bit more hugging yourself in bed,

לגמְעַט שֵׁנוֹת מְעַט תְּנוּמוֹת מְעַט חִבֻּק יָדַיִם לִשְׁכָּב׃

34And poverty will come calling upon you, And want, like a man with a shield.

לדוּבָא־מִתְהַלֵּךְ רֵישֶׁךָ וּמַחְסֹרֶיךָ כְּאִישׁ מָגֵן׃