Proverbs 24
Legacy Standard Bible
My Son, Fear Yahweh
24 Do not be (A)jealous of evil men,
And do not desire to (B)be with them;
2 For their heart meditates on (C)destruction,
And their lips (D)talk of mischief.
3 (E)By wisdom a house is built,
And by discernment it is firmly established;
4 And by knowledge the rooms are (F)filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A (G)wise man is [a]strong,
And a man of knowledge strengthens his power.
6 For (H)by guidance you will make war,
And (I)in abundance of counselors there is salvation.
8 One who (L)deliberately thinks to do evil,
Men will call a [b]schemer.
9 The (M)scheming of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If you (N)are slack in the day of trouble,
Your strength is in trouble.
11 (O)Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are stumbling to the slaughter, Oh hold them back.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
Does not He (P)who weighs the hearts (Q)understand?
And (R)does not He who (S)guards your soul know?
And will not He [c](T)render to man according to his work?
13 Eat (U)honey, my son, for it is good,
Indeed, the (V)honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
14 Know that (W)wisdom is thus for your soul;
If you find it, then there will be a [d](X)future,
And your hope will not be cut off.
15 (Y)Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the abode of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
16 For a (Z)righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,
But the (AA)wicked will stumble in [e]calamity.
17 When your enemy falls, (AB)do not be glad,
And when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice;
18 Lest Yahweh see it and it be evil in His eyes,
And turn His anger away from him.
19 (AC)Do not fret because of evildoers
Do not be (AD)jealous of the wicked;
20 For (AE)there will be no [f](AF)future for the evil one;
The (AG)lamp of the wicked will go out.
21 My son, [g](AH)fear Yahweh and the king;
Do not associate with those who change,
22 For suddenly their (AI)disaster will rise,
And who knows the upheaval that comes from both of them?
23 These also are (AJ)sayings of the wise.
To [h](AK)show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 He (AL)who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
(AM)Peoples will curse him, nations will be indignant with him;
25 But (AN)to those who reprove the wicked, it will be pleasant,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He kisses the lips
Who responds with right words.
27 Establish your work outside
And (AO)make it ready for yourself in the field;
And afterwards, you shall build your house.
28 Do not be a (AP)witness against your neighbor without cause,
Nor (AQ)deceive with your lips.
29 (AR)Do not say, “As he did to me so I shall do to him;
I will [i]render to the man according to his work.”
30 I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man (AS)lacking a heart of wisdom,
31 And behold, it was completely [j](AT)overgrown with thistles;
[k](AU)Nettles have covered its surface,
And its stone (AV)wall has been torn down.
32 And I beheld, I set my heart upon it;
I saw, I received discipline.
33 “(AW)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
34 Then your poverty will come as [l]a robber
And your want like [m]an armed man.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:5 Lit in strength
- Proverbs 24:8 Or deviser of evil
- Proverbs 24:12 Lit bring back
- Proverbs 24:14 Lit latter end
- Proverbs 24:16 Lit evil
- Proverbs 24:20 Lit latter end
- Proverbs 24:21 Or reverence
- Proverbs 24:23 Lit recognize a face
- Proverbs 24:29 Lit bring back
- Proverbs 24:31 Lit gone up
- Proverbs 24:31 A kind of weed
- Proverbs 24:34 Or a vagabond; lit one who walks
- Proverbs 24:34 Lit a man with a shield
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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