Proverbs 24
1 Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
Have no envy for evil men, or any desire to be with them:
2 for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
For the purposes of their hearts are destruction, and their lips are talking of trouble.
3 A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
The building of a house is by wisdom, and by reason it is made strong:
4 Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
And by knowledge its rooms are full of all dear and pleasing things.
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 makes strength greater.
6 for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
For by wise guiding you will overcome in war: and in a number of wise guides there is salvation.
7 Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
Wisdom is outside the power of the foolish: he keeps his mouth shut in the public place.
8 Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
He whose purposes are bad will be named a man of evil designs.
9 Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
The purpose of the foolish is sin: and the hater of authority is disgusting to others.
10 If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
If you give way in the day of trouble, your strength is small.
11 Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.
Be the saviour of those who are given up to death, and do not keep back help from those who are slipping to destruction.
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, See, we had no knowledge of this: does not the tester of hearts give thought to it? and he who keeps your soul, has he no knowledge of it? and will he not give to every man the reward of his work?
13 My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
My son, take honey, for it is good; and the flowing honey, which 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.
So let your desire be for wisdom: if you have it, there will be a future, and your hope will not 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 keep a secret watch, O evil-doer, against the fields of the upright man, or send destruction on 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 an upright man, after falling seven times, will get up again: but trouble is the downfall of the evil.
17 Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
Do not be glad at the fall of your hater, and let not your heart have joy at his downfall:
18 otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
For fear that the Lord may see it, and it may be evil in his eyes, and his wrath may be turned away from him.
19 Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
Do not be troubled because of evil-doers, or have envy of sinners:
20 for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
For there will be no future for the evil man; the light of sinners will be put out.
21 My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,
My son, go in fear of the Lord and the king: have nothing to do with those who are in high positions:
22 for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
For their downfall will come suddenly; and who has knowledge of the destruction of those in high positions?
23 These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
These are more sayings of the wise: To have respect for a person's position when judging is not good.
24 Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
He who says to the evil-doer, You are upright, will be cursed by peoples and hated by nations.
25 while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
But those who say sharp words to him will have delight, and a blessing of good will come on them.
26 An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
He gives a kiss with his lips who gives a right answer.
27 Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.
Put your work in order outside, and make it ready in the field; and after that, see to the building of your house.
28 Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
Do not be a violent witness against your neighbour, or let your lips say what is false.
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!”
Say not, I will do to him as he has done to me; I will give the man the reward of his work.
30 I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
I went by the field of the hater of work, and by the vine-garden of the man without sense;
31 It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
And it was all full of thorns, and covered with waste plants, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
Then looking at it, I gave thought: I saw, and I got teaching from it.
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 rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
34 and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
So loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man.
