Proverbs 24
1 Do not imitate evil men, nor desire to be among them.
Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
2 For their mind meditates on robberies, and their lips speak deceptions.
for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
3 By wisdom shall a house be built, and by prudence shall it be strengthened.
By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
4 By doctrine, the storerooms shall be filled with every substance that is precious and most beautiful.
through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
5 A wise man is strong, and a well-taught man is robust and valiant.
A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
6 For war is undertaken in an orderly manner, and safety shall be where there are many counsels.
Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
7 Wisdom is beyond the foolish; at the gate he will not open his mouth.
Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
8 Whoever intends to do evil shall be called foolish.
He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
9 The intention of the foolish is sin. And the detractor is an abomination among men.
A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
10 If you despair, being weary in the day of anguish, your strength will be diminished.
If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
11 Rescue those who are led away to death. And do not cease from delivering those who are dragged away to a violent death.
Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
12 If you would say: “I do not have sufficient strength.” He who inspects the heart, the same one understands, and nothing slips past the one who preserves your soul. And he shall repay a man according to his works.
If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?
13 My son, eat honey, because it is good, and the honeycomb, because it is so sweet to your throat.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
14 So, too, is the doctrine of wisdom to your soul. When you have found it, you will have hope in the end, and your hope shall not perish.
Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future for you, and your hope will never be cut off.
15 Do not lie in wait, and do not seek impiety in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.
Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.
16 For the just one will fall seven times, and he shall rise again. But the impious will fall into evil.
For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
17 When your enemy will fall, do not be glad, and do not let your heart exult in his ruin,
Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
18 lest perhaps the Lord see, and it displease him, and he may take away his wrath from him.
or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
19 Do not contend with the most wicked, and do not be a rival to the impious.
Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
20 For the evil hold no hope in the future, and the lamp of the impious will be extinguished.
For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
21 My son, fear the Lord, as well as the king. And do not mingle with detractors.
My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
22 For their perdition shall rise up suddenly. And who knows what ruin will be for each of them?
For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
23 Likewise, these things are for the wise. It is not good to base judgment on knowledge of character.
These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 Those who say to the impious, “You are just,” shall be cursed by the people, and the tribes shall detest them.
Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”— peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
25 Those who argue against the impious shall be praised, and a blessing shall come upon them.
but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
26 He shall kiss the lips, who responds with upright words.
An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
27 Prepare your outdoor work, and diligently cultivate your field, so that afterward, you may build your house.
Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
28 Do not be a witness without cause against your neighbor. And do not mislead anyone with your lips.
Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
29 Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me.” I will repay each one according to his work.
Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
30 I passed by the field of a lazy man, and by the vineyard of a foolish man,
I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.
31 and behold, it was entirely filled with nettles, and thorns had covered its surface, and the stonewall was destroyed.
Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.
32 When I had seen this, I laid it up in my heart, and by this example, I received discipline.
I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
33 You will sleep a little,” I said. “You will slumber briefly. You will fold your hands a little, so as to rest.
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
34 And destitution will overtake you like a runner, and begging will overtake you like an armed man.”
and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
