Proverbs 24
Modern English Version
Saying Twenty
24 Do not be envious against evil men,
nor desire to be with them;
2 for their heart studies destruction,
and their lips talk of mischief.
Saying Twenty-One
3 Through wisdom is a house built,
and by understanding it is established;
4 and by knowledge the rooms will be filled
with all precious and pleasant riches.
Saying Twenty-Two
5 A wise man is strong;
yes, a man of knowledge increases strength.
6 For by wise counsel you will wage your war,
and in multitude of counselors there is safety.
Saying Twenty-Three
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool;
he does not open his mouth in the gate.
Saying Twenty-Four
8 He who devises to do evil
will be called a schemer of plots.
9 The thought of foolishness is sin,
and the scorner is an abomination to men.
Saying Twenty-Five
10 If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
11 If you refrain to deliver those who are drawn unto death,
and those who are ready to be slain;
12 if you say, “Surely we did not know this,”
does not He who ponders the heart consider it?
And He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to every man according to his works?
Saying Twenty-Six
13 My son, eat honey because it is good,
and the honeycomb that is sweet to your taste;
14 so shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;
when you have found it, then there will be a reward,
and your expectation will not be cut off.
Saying Twenty-Seven
15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;
do not spoil his resting place;
16 for a just man falls seven times and rises up again,
but the wicked will fall into mischief.
Saying Twenty-Eight
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him,
and He turn away His wrath from him.
Saying Twenty-Nine
19 Do not fret because of evil men,
nor be envious of the wicked;
20 for there will be no reward to the evil man;
the candle of the wicked will be put out.
Saying Thirty
21 My son, fear the Lord and the king;
and do not meddle with those who are given to change;
22 for their calamity will rise suddenly,
and who knows the ruin of them both?
More Sayings of the Wise
23 These things also belong to the wise:
It is not good to show partiality in judgment.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
him the people will curse; nations will abhor him.
25 But to those who rebuke him will be delight,
and a good blessing will come upon them.
26 Every man will kiss his lips
that gives a right answer.
27 Prepare your work outside,
and make it fit for yourself in the field;
and afterwards build your house.
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
and do not deceive with your lips.
29 Do not say, “I will do so to him as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”
30 I went by the field of the slothful,
and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31 and it was all grown over with thorns,
and nettles covered its surface,
and the stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I saw, and considered it;
I looked on it and received instruction:
33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to sleep,
34 so your poverty will come like a stalker,
and your need as an armed man.
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”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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