Proverbs 24
New American Standard Bible 1995
Precepts and Warnings
24 Do not be (A)envious of evil men,
Nor desire to (B)be with them;
2 For their [a]minds devise (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 man of knowledge [c]increases power.
6 For (H)by wise guidance you will [d]wage war,
And (I)in abundance of counselors there is victory.
8 One who (L)plans to do evil,
Men will call a [e]schemer.
9 The (M)devising of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If you (N)are slack in the day of distress,
Your strength is limited.
11 (O)Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.
12 If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He not (P)consider it (Q)who weighs the hearts?
And (R)does He not know it who (S)keeps your soul?
And will He not [f](T)render to man 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 thus 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 wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
16 For a (Z)righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,
But the (AA)wicked stumble in time of calamity.
17 (AB)Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 Or the Lord will see it and [h]be displeased,
And turn His anger away from him.
19 (AC)Do not fret because of evildoers
Or be (AD)envious of the wicked;
20 For (AE)there will be no [i](AF)future for the evil man;
The (AG)lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21 My son, [j](AH)fear the Lord and the king;
Do not associate with those who are given to change,
22 For their (AI)calamity will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?
23 These also are (AJ)sayings of the wise.
To [k](AK)show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 He (AL)who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
(AM)Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;
25 But (AN)to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He kisses the lips
Who gives [l]a right answer.
27 Prepare your work outside
And (AO)make it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterwards, then, build your house.
28 Do not be a (AP)witness against your neighbor without cause,
And (AQ)do not deceive with your lips.
29 (AR)Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me;
I will [m]render to the man according to his work.”
30 I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man (AS)lacking [n]sense,
31 And behold, it was completely (AT)overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with [o](AU)nettles,
And its stone (AV)wall was broken down.
32 When I saw, I [p]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 as [q]a robber
And your want like [r]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
- 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 reverence
- Proverbs 24:23 Lit regard the face
- Proverbs 24:26 Or an honest
- Proverbs 24:29 Lit bring back
- Proverbs 24:30 Lit heart
- Proverbs 24:31 I.e. a kind of weed
- Proverbs 24:32 Lit set my heart
- Proverbs 24:34 Or a vagabond; lit one who walks
- Proverbs 24:34 Lit a man with a shield
Proverbs 24
English Standard Version
24 Be not (A)envious of evil men,
nor desire to be (B)with them,
2 for their hearts (C)devise violence,
and their lips (D)talk of trouble.
3 By (E)wisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all (F)precious and pleasant riches.
5 (G)A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
6 for by (H)wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in (I)abundance of counselors there is victory.
7 Wisdom is (J)too high for a fool;
in (K)the gate he does not open his mouth.
8 Whoever (L)plans to do evil
will be called a schemer.
9 (M)The devising[a] of folly is sin,
and (N)the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.
10 If you (O)faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
11 (P)Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
(Q)does not he who (R)weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who (S)keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man (T)according to his work?
13 My son, (U)eat honey, for it is good,
and (V)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 (W)a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
15 (X)Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;
do no violence to his home;
16 (Y)for the righteous falls (Z)seven times and rises again,
but (AA)the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
17 (AB)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 (AC)Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
and be not (AD)envious of the wicked,
20 for the evil man has no (AE)future;
(AF)the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21 My son, (AG)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?
More Sayings of the Wise
23 These also are sayings of (AH)the wise.
(AI)Partiality in judging is not good.
24 Whoever (AJ)says to the wicked, “You are in the right,”
(AK)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 (AL)Prepare your work outside;
get everything ready for yourself in the field,
and after that build your house.
28 (AM)Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause,
and do not deceive with your lips.
29 Do not say, (AN)“I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will pay the man back for what he has done.”
30 (AO)I passed by the field of a sluggard,
by the vineyard of a man (AP)lacking sense,
31 and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;
the ground was covered with nettles,
and its stone (AQ)wall was broken down.
32 Then I saw and (AR)considered it;
I looked and received instruction.
33 (AS)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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:9 Or scheming
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
