Proverbs 24
1 Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
Don’t be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
2 for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
for their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about mischief.
3 A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;
4 Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.
5 If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,
A wise man has great power. A knowledgeable man increases strength,
6 for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors.
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 doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.
8 Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.
9 Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.
10 If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
If you falter in the time 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.
Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to 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 didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?
13 My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are 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 you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: 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.
Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t 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 a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
17 Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,
18 otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;
20 for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
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. Don’t join those who are rebellious,
22 for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?
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,
He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor 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 a rich blessing will come on them.
26 An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
An honest answer 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.
Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.
28 Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t 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!”
Don’t 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 by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.
31 It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, 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 sleep,
34 and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
so your poverty will come as a robber and your want as an armed man.
