Proverbs 24
1 Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
2 for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
3 A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
4 Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
5 If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,
A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
6 for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
7 Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
8 Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
9 Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
10 If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
11 Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.
Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Look, we didn't know anything about this,” don't you think the God who judges your motives will see what's happening? He who watches over you knows, and he will pay people back for what they've done.
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, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
14 In the same way, you should know that wisdom is good for you; if you find it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.
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 Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.
Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.
16 Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.
For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
17 Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
18 otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
19 Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
20 for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
21 My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,
My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
22 for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
23 These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”— peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
25 while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
26 An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
27 Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.
Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
28 Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
29 Don't say to yourself, “I'm going to do to him what he did to me! I'll pay him back for what he's done!”
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 walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.
31 It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.
32 As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
33 You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
34 and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
