Proverbs 24:11-28:19

English Standard Version

¹³ My son, ^(F)eat honey, for it is good,
    and ^(G)the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
¹⁴ Know 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,
¹⁸ lest 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,
²⁰ for the evil man has no ^(P)future;
    ^(Q)the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

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

^(T)Partiality in judging is not good.
²⁴ Whoever ^(U)says to the wicked, “You are in the right,”
    ^(V)will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations,
²⁵ but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
    and a good blessing will come upon them.
²⁶ Whoever gives an honest answer
    kisses the lips.

^27 (W)Prepare your work outside;
    get everything ready for yourself in the field,
    and after that build your house.

^28 (X)Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause,
    and do not deceive with your lips.
²⁹ Do not say, ^(Y)“I will do to him as he has done to me;
    I will pay the man back for what he has done.”

^30 (Z)I passed by the field of a sluggard,
    by the vineyard of a man ^(AA)lacking sense,
³¹ and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;
    the ground was covered with nettles,
    and its stone ^(AB)wall was broken down.
³² Then I saw and ^(AC)considered it;
    I looked and received instruction.
^33 (AD)A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,
³⁴ and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want like an armed man.

² It is the glory of God to ^(AF)conceal things,
    but the glory of kings is to ^(AG)search things out.
³ As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,
    so the heart of kings is ^(AH)unsearchable.
⁴ Take away ^(AI)the dross from the silver,
    and ^(AJ)the smith has material for a vessel;
⁵ take away ^(AK)the wicked from the presence of the king,
    and his ^(AL)throne will be established in righteousness.
⁶ Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence
    or stand in the place of the great,
⁷ for ^(AM)it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
    than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

What your eyes have seen
^{8     (AN)}do not hastily bring into court,^[a]
for^[b] what will you do in the end,
    when your neighbor puts you to shame?
^9 (AO)Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
    and do not reveal another's secret,
¹⁰ lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
    and your ill repute have no end.

^11 (AP)A word fitly spoken
    is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
¹² Like ^(AQ)a gold ring or an ornament of gold
    is a wise reprover to ^(AR)a listening ear.
¹³ Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
    is ^(AS)a faithful messenger to those who send him;
    he refreshes the soul of his masters.
¹⁴ Like ^(AT)clouds and wind without rain
    is a man who ^(AU)boasts of a gift he does not give.

¹⁵ With ^(AV)patience a ruler may be persuaded,
    and a soft tongue will break a bone.
¹⁶ If you have ^(AW)found honey, eat ^(AX)only enough for you,
    lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
¹⁷ Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house,
    lest he have his fill of you and hate you.
¹⁸ A man who ^(AY)bears false witness against his neighbor
    is like a war club, or ^(AZ)a sword, or a sharp arrow.
¹⁹ Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble
    is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.
²⁰ Whoever ^(BA)sings songs to a heavy heart
    is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,
    and like vinegar on soda.
^21 (BB)If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
    and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
²² for you will heap ^(BC)burning coals on his head,
    and the Lord will reward you.
²³ The north wind brings forth rain,
    and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
^24 (BD)It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
    than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
²⁵ Like cold water to ^(BE)a thirsty soul,
    so is ^(BF)good news from a far country.
²⁶ Like ^(BG)a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
    is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
²⁷ It is ^(BH)not good to eat much honey,
    nor is it glorious to ^(BI)seek one's own glory.^[c]
28 A man ^(BJ)without self-control
    is like ^(BK)a city broken into and left without walls.
26 Like snow in summer or ^(BL)rain in harvest,
    so ^(BM)honor is ^(BN)not fitting for a fool.
² Like ^(BO)a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
    ^(BP)a curse that is causeless does not alight.
^3 (BQ)A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
    and ^(BR)a rod for the back of fools.
^4 (BS)Answer not a fool according to his folly,
    lest you be like him yourself.
^5 (BT)Answer a fool according to his folly,
    lest he be ^(BU)wise in his own eyes.
⁶ Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
    cuts off his own feet and ^(BV)drinks violence.
⁷ Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless,
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
⁸ Like one who binds the stone in the sling
    is ^(BW)one who gives honor to a fool.
⁹ Like ^(BX)a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
¹⁰ Like an archer who wounds everyone
    is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.^[d]
11 Like ^(BY)a dog that returns to his vomit
    is ^(BZ)a fool who repeats his folly.
¹² Do you see a man who is ^(CA)wise in his own eyes?
    ^(CB)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
^13 (CC)The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
    There is a lion in the streets!”
¹⁴ As a door turns on its hinges,
    so does a sluggard on his bed.
^15 (CD)The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
¹⁶ The sluggard is ^(CE)wiser in his own eyes
    ^(CF)than seven men who can answer sensibly.
¹⁷ Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
    is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
¹⁸ Like a madman who throws ^(CG)firebrands, arrows, and death
¹⁹ is the man who deceives his neighbor
    and says, “I am only joking!”
²⁰ For lack of wood the fire goes out,
    and where there is no ^(CH)whisperer, ^(CI)quarreling ceases.
²¹ As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
    so is ^(CJ)a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
^22 (CK)The words of ^(CL)a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
    they go down into the inner parts of the body.
^23 (CM)Like the ^(CN)glaze^[e] covering an earthen vessel
    are fervent lips with an evil heart.
²⁴ Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips
    and harbors deceit in his heart;
^25 (CO)when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
    for there are ^(CP)seven abominations in his heart;
²⁶ though his hatred be covered with deception,
    his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
^27 (CQ)Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
    and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
²⁸ A lying tongue hates its victims,
    and a flattering mouth works ruin.
27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
    ^(CR)for you do not know what a day may bring.
² Let ^(CS)another praise you, and not your own mouth;
    a stranger, and not your own lips.
³ A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
    but ^(CT)a fool's provocation is heavier than both.
⁴ Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
    but who can stand before ^(CU)jealousy?
^5 (CV)Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.
⁶ Faithful are ^(CW)the wounds of a friend;
    profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
⁷ One who is full loathes ^(CX)honey,
    but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.
⁸ Like ^(CY)a bird that strays from its nest
    is a man who strays from his home.
^9 (CZ)Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
    and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.^[f]
10 Do not forsake your friend and ^(DA)your father's friend,
    and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.
^(DB)Better is a neighbor who is near
    than a brother who is far away.
^11 (DC)Be wise, ^(DD)my son, and ^(DE)make my heart glad,
    that I may ^(DF)answer him who reproaches me.
^12 (DG)The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
    but ^(DH)the simple go on and suffer for it.
^13 (DI)Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
    and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.^[g]
14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
    rising early in the morning,
    will be counted as cursing.
^15 (DJ)A continual dripping on a rainy day
    and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
¹⁶ to restrain her is to restrain the wind
    or to grasp^[h] oil in one's right hand.
¹⁷ Iron sharpens iron,
    and one man sharpens another.^[i]
18 (DK)Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
    and he who ^(DL)guards his master will be honored.
¹⁹ As in water face reflects face,
    so the heart of man reflects the man.
^20 (DM)Sheol and Abaddon are ^(DN)never satisfied,
    and ^(DO)never satisfied are the eyes of man.
^21 (DP)The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
    and a man is tested by his praise.
^22 (DQ)Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
    along with crushed grain,
    yet his folly will not depart from him.

^23 (DR)Know well the condition of your flocks,
    and ^(DS)give attention to your herds,
²⁴ for ^(DT)riches do not last forever;
    and does a crown endure to all generations?
^25 (DU)When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
    and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
^26 (DV)the lambs will provide your clothing,
    and the goats the price of a field.
^27 (DW)There will be enough goats' milk for your food,
    for the food of your household
    and maintenance for your girls.
28 ^(DX)The wicked flee when no one pursues,
    but ^(DY)the righteous are bold as a lion.
² When a land transgresses, ^(DZ)it has many rulers,
    but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
    its stability will long continue.
^3 (EA)A poor man who oppresses the poor
    is a beating rain that leaves no food.
⁴ Those who forsake the law ^(EB)praise the wicked,
    but those who keep the law ^(EC)strive against them.
⁵ Evil men ^(ED)do not understand justice,
    but those who seek the Lord ^(EE)understand it completely.
^6 (EF)Better is a poor man who ^(EG)walks in his integrity
    than a rich man who is ^(EH)crooked in his ways.
⁷ The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
    but ^(EI)a companion of gluttons shames his father.
⁸ Whoever multiplies his wealth ^(EJ)by interest and profit^{[j]
    (EK)}gathers it for him who is ^(EL)generous to the poor.
⁹ If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
    even his ^(EM)prayer is an abomination.
¹⁰ Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way
    ^(EN)will fall into his own pit,
    but the blameless ^(EO)will have a goodly inheritance.
¹¹ A rich man is wise in his ^(EP)own eyes,
    but a poor man who has understanding ^(EQ)will find him out.
¹² When ^(ER)the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
    but when ^(ES)the wicked rise, people hide themselves.
¹³ Whoever ^(ET)conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
    but he who ^(EU)confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
¹⁴ Blessed is the one who ^(EV)fears the Lord^[k] always,
    but whoever ^(EW)hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
¹⁵ Like ^(EX)a roaring lion or ^(EY)a charging bear
    is ^(EZ)a wicked ruler over a poor people.
¹⁶ A ruler who ^(FA)lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
    but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
¹⁷ If one is burdened with ^(FB)the blood of another,
    he will be a fugitive until death;^[l]
    let no one help him.
^18 (FC)Whoever ^(FD)walks in integrity will be delivered,
    but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.
^19 (FE)Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
    but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.