Proverbs 24:11-25

English Standard Version

¹¹^(A)Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
    hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
¹²If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
    ^(B)does not he who ^(C)weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who ^(D)keeps watch over your soul know it,
    and will he not repay man ^(E)according to his work?

¹³My son, ^(F)eat honey, for it is good,
    and ^(G)the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
¹⁴Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
    if you find it, there will be ^(H)a future,
    and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵^(I)Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;
do no violence to his home;
¹⁶^(J)for the righteous falls ^(K)seven times and rises again,
but ^(L)the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

¹⁷^(M)Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
¹⁸lest the Lord see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from him.

¹⁹^(N)Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
and be not ^(O)envious of the wicked,
²⁰for the evil man has no ^(P)future;
^(Q)the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

²¹My son, ^(R)fear the Lord and the king,
and do not join with those who do otherwise,
²²for disaster will arise suddenly from them,
and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

More Sayings of the Wise

²³These also are sayings of ^(S)the wise.

^(T)Partiality in judging is not good.
²⁴Whoever ^(U)says to the wicked, “You are in the right,”
^(V)will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations,
²⁵but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
and a good blessing will come upon them.