Proverbs 24
World English Bible
24 Don’t be envious of evil men,
neither desire to be with them;
2 for their hearts plot violence
and their lips talk about mischief.
3 Through wisdom a house is built;
by understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all rare and beautiful treasure.
5 A wise man has great power;
and a knowledgeable man increases strength;
6 for by wise guidance you wage your war;
and victory is in many advisors.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool.
He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.
8 One who plots to do evil
will be called a schemer.
9 The schemes of folly are sin.
The mocker is detested by men.
10 If you falter in the time of trouble,
your strength is small.
11 Rescue those who are being led away to death!
Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!
12 If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,”
doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it?
Shall he not render to every man according to his work?
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good,
the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;
14 so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul.
If you have found it, then there will be a reward:
Your hope will not be cut off.
15 Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous.
Don’t destroy his resting place;
16 for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again;
but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
17 Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls.
Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,
18 lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him,
and he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers,
neither be envious of the wicked;
20 for there will be no reward to the evil man.
The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21 My son, fear Yahweh and the king.
Don’t join those who are rebellious;
22 for their calamity will rise suddenly.
Who knows what destruction may come from them both?
23 These also are sayings of the wise.
To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—
25 but it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and a rich blessing will come on them.
26 An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips.
27 Prepare your work outside,
and get your fields ready.
Afterwards, build your house.
28 Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause.
Don’t deceive with your lips.
29 Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will repay the man according to his work.”
30 I went by the field of the sluggard,
by the vineyard of the man void of understanding:
31 Behold, it was all grown over with thorns.
Its surface was covered with nettles,
and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I saw, and considered well.
I saw, and received instruction:
33 a little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to sleep,
34 so your poverty will come as a robber
and your want as an armed man.
Proverbs 24
New Living Translation
24 Don’t envy evil people
or desire their company.
2 For their hearts plot violence,
and their words always stir up trouble.
3 A house is built by wisdom
and becomes strong through good sense.
4 Through knowledge its rooms are filled
with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.
5 The wise are mightier than the strong,[a]
and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.
6 So don’t go to war without wise guidance;
victory depends on having many advisers.
7 Wisdom is too lofty for fools.
Among leaders at the city gate, they have nothing to say.
8 A person who plans evil
will get a reputation as a troublemaker.
9 The schemes of a fool are sinful;
everyone detests a mocker.
10 If you fail under pressure,
your strength is too small.
11 Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die;
save them as they stagger to their death.
12 Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.”
For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.
He who guards your soul knows you knew.
He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
13 My child,[b] eat honey, for it is good,
and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste.
14 In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul.
If you find it, you will have a bright future,
and your hopes will not be cut short.
15 Don’t wait in ambush at the home of the godly,
and don’t raid the house where the godly live.
16 The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.
17 Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;
don’t be happy when they stumble.
18 For the Lord will be displeased with you
and will turn his anger away from them.
19 Don’t fret because of evildoers;
don’t envy the wicked.
20 For evil people have no future;
the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21 My child, fear the Lord and the king.
Don’t associate with rebels,
22 for disaster will hit them suddenly.
Who knows what punishment will come
from the Lord and the king?
More Sayings of the Wise
23 Here are some further sayings of the wise:
It is wrong to show favoritism when passing judgment.
24 A judge who says to the wicked, “You are innocent,”
will be cursed by many people and denounced by the nations.
25 But it will go well for those who convict the guilty;
rich blessings will be showered on them.
26 An honest answer
is like a kiss of friendship.
27 Do your planning and prepare your fields
before building your house.
28 Don’t testify against your neighbors without cause;
don’t lie about them.
29 And don’t say, “Now I can pay them back for what they’ve done to me!
I’ll get even with them!”
30 I walked by the field of a lazy person,
the vineyard of one with no common sense.
31 I saw that it was overgrown with nettles.
It was covered with weeds,
and its walls were broken down.
32 Then, as I looked and thought about it,
I learned this lesson:
33 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
34 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
