Proverbs 24
Lexham English Bible
24 Do not envy men of evil,
and do not desire to be with them.
2 For their minds will devise violence,
and their lips will speak mischief.
3 By wisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established.
4 And by knowledge, rooms are filled
with all riches, precious and pleasant.
5 The warrior of wisdom is in strength,
and a man of knowledge is strong in power.
6 For with wise guidance you shall make war for yourself,
and victory is in an abundance of counsel.
7 Wisdom is too high for fools;
at the gate he will not open his mouth.
8 He who plans to do evil for[a] himself,
they will call him “master[b] of mischief.”
9 Devising folly is a sin,
and an abomination to humankind is a scoffer.
10 If you faint on the day of adversity,
little is your strength.
11 Rescue those who are led away to the death
and those who stagger to the slaughter. If you hold back,
12 if you say, “Look, we do not know this,”
does not he who weighs hearts perceive it?
And he who keeps your soul,[c]
he knows and will repay humankind according to his deeds.
13 My child, eat honey, for it is good,
and the dripping of the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
14 Thus know wisdom for the sake of your soul,[d]
if you find it, then there is a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
15 Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against the home of the righteous;
do not do violence to his dwelling place.
16 For seven times the righteous will fall, but he will rise,
but the wicked will be overthrown by calamity.
17 While your enemies are falling, do not rejoice;
when he trips himself, may your heart[e] not be glad
18 lest Yahweh see and it be evil in his eyes,
and turn his anger away from him.
19 Do not fret because of the evildoers;
do not envy the wicked.
20 For there will not be a future for the evil;
the lamp of the wicked will die out.
21 Fear Yahweh, my son, and the king;
with those who change, do not associate.
22 For suddenly their disaster will come,
and the ruin of both of them,[f] who knows?
23 These sayings are also for the wise:
Partiality[g] in judgment is not good.
24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are righteous,” the people will curse him;
the nations will abhor him.
25 But they who rebuke will have delight,
and upon them blessings of goodness will come.
26 He will kiss the lips,
he who gives an honest answer.
27 Prepare your work in the street and get it ready for yourself in the field;
afterward, then[h] you shall build your house.
28 Do not be a witness without cause against your neighbor
nor deceive with your lips.
29 Do not say, “Just as he has done to me, so shall I do to him;
I will pay back the man according to his deed.”
30 I passed by the field of a lazy person,
and over the vineyard of a person lacking sense;[i]
31 and behold, it was overgrown—all of it was covered with thorns, its surface with nettles,
and its stone wall[j] was broken down.
32 Then I myself saw and my heart[k] considered;
I looked, and I took hold of instruction:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands for rest,
34 and your poverty will come running,
and your lack like an armed warrior.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:8 Or “to”
- Proverbs 24:8 Or “owner”
- Proverbs 24:12 Or “life,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 24:14 Or “life,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 24:17 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 24:22 Literally “the two of them”
- Proverbs 24:23 Literally “acknowledge faces”
- Proverbs 24:27 Hebrew “and”
- Proverbs 24:30 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 24:31 Literally “a wall of his/its stones”
- Proverbs 24:32 Or “mind”
Proverbs 24
American Standard Version
24 Be not thou envious against evil men;
Neither desire to be with them:
2 For their heart studieth oppression,
And their lips talk of mischief.
3 Through wisdom is a house builded;
And by understanding it is established;
4 And by knowledge are the chambers filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man [a]is strong;
Yea, a man of knowledge [b]increaseth might.
6 For by wise guidance thou shalt make thy war;
And in the multitude of counsellors there is [c]safety.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool:
He openeth not his mouth in the gate.
8 He that deviseth to do evil,
Men shall call him a mischief-maker.
9 The thought of foolishness is sin;
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If thou faint in the day of adversity,
Thy strength is small.
11 Deliver them that are carried away unto death,
And those that are [d]ready to be slain [e]see that thou hold back.
12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not [f]this;
Doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it?
And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it?
And shall not he render to every man according to his work?
13 My son, eat thou honey, for it is good;
And the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste:
14 So shalt thou know wisdom to be unto thy soul;
If thou hast found it, then shall there be a reward,
And thy hope shall not be cut off.
15 Lay not wait, [g]O wicked man, against the [h]habitation of the righteous;
Destroy not his [i]resting-place:
16 For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again;
But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth,
And let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown;
18 Lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him,
And he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers;
Neither be thou envious at the wicked:
20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king;
And company not with them that are given to change:
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly;
And the destruction [j]from them both, who knoweth it?
23 These also are sayings of the wise.
To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous,
Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;
25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight,
And a good blessing shall come upon them.
26 He [k]kisseth the lips
Who giveth a right answer.
27 Prepare thy work without,
And make it ready for thee in the field;
And afterwards build thy house.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause;
[l]And deceive not with thy lips.
29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.
30 I went by the field of the sluggard,
And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns,
The face thereof was covered with [m]nettles,
And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 Then I beheld, and considered well;
I saw, and received instruction:
33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep;
34 So shall thy poverty come as a robber,
And thy want as an armed man.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:5 Hebrew is in strength.
- Proverbs 24:5 Hebrew strengtheneth might.
- Proverbs 24:6 Or, victory
- Proverbs 24:11 Hebrew tottering to the slaughter.
- Proverbs 24:11 Or, forbear thou not to deliver
- Proverbs 24:12 Or, this man
- Proverbs 24:15 Or, as a wicked man
- Proverbs 24:15 Or, pasture
- Proverbs 24:15 Or, fold
- Proverbs 24:22 Or, of their years
- Proverbs 24:26 Or, kisseth with the lips
- Proverbs 24:28 Hebrew And wouldest thou deceive with thy lips?
- Proverbs 24:31 Or, wild vetches
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