Beginning
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.
Similitudes and Instructions
25 These also are (AX)proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.
2 It is the glory of God to (AY)conceal a matter,
But the glory of (AZ)kings is to search out a matter.
3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the [t](BA)impurities from the silver,
And there comes out a vessel for the (BB)smith;
5 Take away the (BC)wicked before the king,
And his (BD)throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not boast in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the same place [u]as great people;
7 For (BE)it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go out (BF)hastily to [v]argue your case;
[w]Otherwise, what will you do in [x]the end,
When your neighbor humiliates you?
9 [y](BG)Argue your case with your neighbor,
And (BH)do not reveal the secret of another,
10 Or one who hears it will put you to shame,
And the evil report about you will not [z]pass away.
11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver,
Is a (BI)word spoken at [aa]the proper time.
12 Like [ab]an (BJ)earring of gold and a (BK)jewelry piece of (BL)fine gold,
Is a wise person who offers rebukes to a (BM)listening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the [ac]time of harvest
Is a (BN)faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like (BO)clouds and (BP)wind without rain
Is a person who boasts [ad]of his gifts falsely.
15 Through [ae](BQ)patience a ruler may be persuaded,
And a gentle tongue breaks bone.
16 Have you (BR)found honey? Eat only [af]what you need,
So that you do not have it in excess and vomit it.
17 Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,
Or he will become [ag]weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a club, a (BS)sword, and a sharp (BT)arrow
Is a person who gives (BU)false testimony against his neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth and [ah]an unsteady foot
Is confidence in a (BV)treacherous person in time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on [ai]soda,
Is one who sings songs to [aj]a troubled heart.
21 (BW)If [ak]your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will [al]heap burning coals on his head,
And (BX)the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings rain,
And a [am](BY)gossiping tongue brings an angry face.
24 It is (BZ)better to live on a corner of the roof,
Than [an]in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is (CA)good news from a distant land.
26 Like a (CB)trampled spring and a [ao]polluted well,
So is a righteous person who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat much honey,
Nor is it glory to (CC)search out [ap]one’s own glory.
28 Like a (CD)city that is broken into and without walls
So is a person (CE)who has no self-control over his spirit.
Similitudes and Instructions
26 Like snow in summer and like (CF)rain in harvest,
So honor is not (CG)fitting for a fool.
2 Like a (CH)sparrow in its [aq]flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
So a (CI)curse without cause does not come to rest.
3 A (CJ)whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a (CK)rod for the back of fools.
4 (CL)Do not answer a fool [ar]according to his foolishness,
Or you will also be like him.
5 (CM)Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves,
So that he will not be (CN)wise in his own eyes.
6 One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 Like [as]useless legs to one who cannot walk,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
8 Like [at]one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is one who gives honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn that [au]sticks in the hand of a heavy drinker,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
10 [av]Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is one who hires a fool or hires those who pass by.
11 Like (CO)a dog that returns to its vomit,
So is a fool who (CP)repeats [aw]his foolishness.
12 Do you see a person (CQ)wise in his own eyes?
(CR)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 [ax]A (CS)lazy one says, “There is a lion on the road!
A lion is [ay]in the public square!”
14 As the door turns on its hinges,
So does a (CT)lazy one on his bed.
15 A (CU)lazy one buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
16 A lazy one is (CV)wiser in his own eyes
Than seven people who can [az]give a discreet answer.
17 Like one who takes a dog by the ears,
So is one who passes by and [ba]meddles with (CW)strife not belonging to him.
18 Like a maniac who shoots
(CX)Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
19 So is a person who (CY)deceives his neighbor,
And says, “(CZ)Was I not joking?”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no (DA)gossiper, (DB)quarreling quiets down.
21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a (DC)contentious person to kindle strife.
22 The (DD)words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the [bb]innermost parts of the body.
23 Like an earthenware (DE)vessel overlaid with silver [bc](DF)impurities
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
24 One who (DG)hates disguises it with his lips,
But he harbors (DH)deceit in his [bd]heart.
25 When [be]he (DI)speaks graciously, do not believe him,
Because there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Though his hatred (DJ)covers itself with deception,
His wickedness will be (DK)revealed in the assembly.
27 One who (DL)digs a pit will fall into it,
And one who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates [bf]those it crushes,
And a (DM)flattering mouth works ruin.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.