Proverbs 24:23-34
New King James Version
Further Sayings of the Wise
23 These things also belong to the wise:
(A)It is not good to [a]show partiality in judgment.
24 (B)He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Him the people will curse;
Nations will abhor him.
25 But those who rebuke the wicked will have (C)delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
27 (D)Prepare your outside work,
Make it fit for yourself in the field;
And afterward build your house.
28 (E)Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
[b]For would you deceive with your lips?
29 (F)Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”
30 I went by the field of the lazy man,
And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31 And there it was, (G)all overgrown with thorns;
Its surface was covered with nettles;
Its stone wall was broken down.
32 When I saw it, I considered it well;
I looked on it and received instruction:
33 (H)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest;
34 (I)So shall your poverty come like [c]a prowler,
And your need like [d]an armed man.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:23 Lit. recognize faces
- Proverbs 24:28 LXX, Vg. Do not deceive
- Proverbs 24:34 Lit. one who walks about
- Proverbs 24:34 Lit. a man with a shield
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.