Proverbs 24
New American Standard Bible
Precepts and Warnings
24 Do not be (A)envious of evil people,
Nor desire to (B)be with them;
2 For their [a]minds plot (C)violence,
And their lips (D)talk of trouble.
3 (E)By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
4 And by knowledge the rooms are (F)filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A (G)wise man is [b]strong,
And a person of knowledge [c]increases power.
6 For (H)by wise guidance you will [d]wage war,
And (I)in an abundance of counselors there is victory.
8 One who (L)plans to do evil,
People will call a [e]schemer.
9 The (M)devising of foolishness is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to humanity.
10 If you (N)show yourself lacking courage on the day of distress,
Your strength is meager.
11 (O)Rescue those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to the slaughter, Oh hold them back!
12 If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He (P)who weighs the hearts not (Q)consider it?
And (R)does He who (S)watches over your soul not know it?
And will He not [f](T)repay a person according to his work?
13 My son, eat (U)honey, for it is good;
Yes, the (V)honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
14 Know that (W)wisdom is the same for your soul;
If you find it, then there will be a [g](X)future,
And your hope will not be cut off.
15 (Y)Do not lie in ambush, you wicked person, against the home of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
16 For a (Z)righteous person falls seven times and rises again,
But the (AA)wicked stumble in time of disaster.
17 (AB)Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
18 Otherwise, the Lord will see and [h]be displeased,
And turn His anger away from him.
19 (AC)Do not get upset because of evildoers
Or be (AD)envious of the wicked;
20 For (AE)there will be no [i](AF)future for the evil person;
The (AG)lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21 My son, [j](AH)fear the Lord and the king;
Do not get involved with those [k]of high rank,
22 For their (AI)disaster will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin that can come from both of them?
23 These also are (AJ)sayings of the wise:
To [l](AK)show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 One (AL)who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
(AM)Peoples will curse him, nations will scold him;
25 But (AN)for those who rebuke the wicked there will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 One who gives [m]a right answer
Kisses the lips.
27 Prepare your work outside,
And (AO)make it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterward, then, build your house.
28 Do not be a (AP)witness against your neighbor for no reason,
And (AQ)do not deceive with your lips.
29 (AR)Do not say, “I shall do the same to him as he has done to me;
I will [n]repay the person according to his work.”
30 I passed by the field of [o]a lazy one,
And by the vineyard of a person (AS)lacking [p]sense,
31 And behold, it was completely (AT)overgrown with weeds;
Its surface was covered with (AU)weeds,
And its stone (AV)wall was broken down.
32 When I saw, I [q]reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
33 “(AW)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
34 Then your poverty will come like [r]a drifter,
And your need like [s]an armed man.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:2 Lit hearts
- Proverbs 24:5 Lit in strength
- Proverbs 24:5 Lit strengthens power
- Proverbs 24:6 Lit make battle for yourself
- Proverbs 24:8 Or deviser of evil
- Proverbs 24:12 Lit bring back to
- Proverbs 24:14 Lit latter end
- Proverbs 24:18 Lit it is evil in His eyes
- Proverbs 24:20 Lit latter end
- Proverbs 24:21 Or revere
- Proverbs 24:21 Or who change
- Proverbs 24:23 Lit regard the face
- Proverbs 24:26 Or an honest
- Proverbs 24:29 Lit bring back
- Proverbs 24:30 Lit an idle
- Proverbs 24:30 Lit heart
- Proverbs 24:32 Lit set my heart
- Proverbs 24:34 Lit one who moves about
- Proverbs 24:34 Lit a man with a shield
Proverbs 24
Common English Bible
24 Don’t envy evil people,
and don’t long to be with them.
2 Their hearts are focused on violence,
and their lips speak of trouble.
3 By wisdom a house is built;
by understanding it is established.
4 By knowledge rooms are filled
with all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 A wise person is mightier than a strong one;[a]
a knowledgeable person than a powerful one.
6 You should make war with guidance;
victory comes with many counselors.
7 Wisdom is beyond foolish people.
They don’t open their mouths in the gate.
8 Those who plot evil
will be called master schemers.
9 The scheming of fools is sin;
people detest mockers.
10 If you show yourself weak on a day of distress,
your strength is too small.
11 Rescue those being taken off to death;
and from those staggering to the slaughter, don’t hold back.
12 If you say, “Look, we didn’t know about it,”
the one who weighs hearts—doesn’t he understand?
The one who protects your life—he knows.
He makes people pay for their actions.
13 My child, eat honey, for it is good.
The honeycomb is sweet in your mouth.
14 Know that wisdom is like that for your whole being.
If you find it, there is a future.
Your hope won’t be cut off.
15 Wicked one, don’t wait secretly at the home of the righteous.
Don’t destroy their dwelling.
16 The righteous may fall seven times but still get up,
but the wicked will stumble into trouble.
17 When your enemies fall, don’t rejoice.
When they stumble, don’t let your heart be glad,
18 or the Lord will see it and be displeased,
and he will turn his anger from them.
19 Don’t get fighting mad at evil people;
don’t be envious of the wicked.
20 Indeed, there is no future for the evil;
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21 Fear the Lord, my child, as well as the king.
Don’t associate with those who are rebellious.
22 Disaster comes suddenly from them.
Who can know the ruin that both can bring?
More sayings of the wise
23 These are also the sayings of the wise:
Partiality in judgment isn’t good.
24 Those who say to the guilty, “You are innocent”—
the people will curse them.
Nations will condemn them.
25 But it will go well for those who rebuke them.
A rich blessing will come to them.
26 Those who speak honestly
are like those who kiss on the lips.
27 Get your outside work done;
make preparations in the field;
then you can build your house.
28 Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without reason;
don’t deceive with your lips.
29 Don’t say, “I’ll do to them what they did to me.
I’ll pay them back for their actions.”
30 I happened upon the field of a lazy person,
by the vineyard of one with no sense.
31 Thorns grew all over it;
weeds covered the ground,
and the stone wall was falling down.
32 I observed this and took it to heart;
I saw it and learned a lesson.
33 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little lying down with folded arms”—
34 and poverty will come on you like a prowler,
deprivation like a man with a shield.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:5 LXX; MT A wise man is strong.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible