Proverbs 24

1 Do not envy evil people; do not desire to associate with them,

Seek not to be like evil men, neither desire to be with them:

2 because they are [constantly] thinking about acting violently, and whenever they speak [MTY], they talk about (causing trouble/hurting someone).

Because their mind studieth robberies, and their lips speak deceits.

3 People make good houses (OR, families) by doing what is wise, and they make their houses (OR, families) strong by [heeding] good advice.

By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened.

4 By using good sense, [they are able to buy] valuable and beautiful things and put them in the rooms of their houses.

By instruction the storerooms shall be filled with all precious and most beautiful wealth.

5 Being wise is better than being strong/powerful; those who know [many things can accomplish more] than those who are [very] strong.

A wise man is strong: and a knowing man, stout and valiant.

6 Leaders can fight battles if they have wise advisors, and they win those battles if they have many good advisors.

Because war is managed by due ordering: and there shall be safety where there are many counsels.

7 Foolish people cannot understand wise sayings/talk; at public meetings they are not [able to] say anything [that is useful].

Wisdom is too high for a fool, in the gate he shall not open his mouth.

8 Those who are [always] planning to do evil things will be called troublemakers.

He that deviseth to do evils, shall be called a fool.

9 It is sinful to plan to do foolish things, and people hate those who make fun of [everything that is good].

The thought of a fool is sin: and the detracter is the abomination of men.

10 If you [act as though] you are helpless when you have troubles, you are [truly very] weak.

If thou lose hope being weary in the day of distress, thy strength shall be diminished.

11 [If it is unjustly decided] that someone must be executed, [try hard to] rescue them [DOU].

Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death forbear not to deliver.

12 If you say, “I did not know anything about it, [so (it is not my concern/I did not try to help him)],” remember that God knows what we have done, and he knows what we were thinking [IDM, RHQ], and he will certainly [RHQ] repay us as we deserve for what we have done or for not doing what we should have done.

If thou say: I have not strength enough: he that seeth into the heart, he understandeth, and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul, and he shall render to a man according to his works.

13 My child/son, eat honey, because it is good [for you]; the honey that drips from honeycombs tastes [very] sweet.

Fat honey, my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat:

14 Similarly, being wise is good for your soul; if you become wise, you will be [happy in] the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do [LIT].

So also is the doctrine of wisdom to thy soul: which when thou hast found, thou shalt have hope in the end, and thy hope shall not perish.

15 Do not be like wicked people who [hide and] wait to break into the houses of righteous/good [people] and rob/steal things.

Lie not in wait, nor seek after wickedness in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.

16 [Even if] good people fall down seven/many times, they [always] stand/get up again, but when a disaster happens to wicked [people], it ruins/destroys them.

For a just mall shall fall seven times and shall rise again: but the wicked shall fall down into evil.

17 Do not be happy when something bad happens to one of your enemies; do not rejoice when he stumbles and falls,

When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:

18 because Yahweh will know what you are thinking, and he will not like it, and [as a result] he will not punish that enemy of yours.

Lest the Lord see, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

19 Do not become angry/upset about those who do what is evil, and do not [SYN] envy them,

Contend not with the wicked, nor seek to be like the ungodly:

20 because [nothing good] will happen to wicked people; they are [like] a lamp that will soon be extinguished [MET].

For evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

21 My child/son, revere Yahweh and [also] honor the king, and do not associate with people who want to rebel against either of them,

My son, fear the Lord and the king: and have nothing to do with detracters.

22 because those people will suddenly experience disasters; and no one knows [RHQ] what great disasters that God or the king can cause to happen to them.

For their destruction shall rise suddenly: and who knoweth the ruin of both?

23 Here are more things that wise [people] have said: It is wrong for judges to decide matters unfairly [IDM].

These things also to the wise: It is not good to have respect to persons in judgment.

24 If they say to people who are guilty, “You (are innocent/have not done something that is wrong),” [even] people in other nations will curse and despise them,

They that say to the wicked man: Thou art just: shall be cursed by the people, and the tribes shall abhor them.

25 but if judges say that guilty people must be punished, things will go well for those judges, and (they will receive blessings/God will bless them).

They that rebuke him, shall be praised: and a blessing shall come upon them.

26 Those who answer others honestly show that they are truly their friends [IDM].

He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words.

27 First, do the work [that needs to be done] outside [your house], and prepare your fields, [and then plant things], and after you finish doing that, build your house.

Prepare thy work without, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house.

28 [In the courtroom] do not testify against someone when you have no reason to do that, and do not [try to] deceive [people] by what you say [MTY].

Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: and deceive not any man with thy lips.

29 Do not say, “I will do to him what he did to me; I will pay him back for [the bad things that] he did to me.”

Say not: I will do to him as he hath done to me: I will render to every one according to his work.

30 One day I walked by the vineyards of a lazy man, a man who did not have good sense.

I passed by the field of the slothful man, and by the vineyard of the foolish man:

31 I was surprised to see that the fields were full of all kinds of thorny bushes, and the stone wall [around the garden] had (collapsed/fallen down).

And behold it was all filled with nettles, and thorns had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall was broken down.

32 When I saw that, I thought about it, and I learned this:

Which when I had seen, I laid it up in my heart, and by the example I received instruction.

33 [If you spend a lot of time] sleeping and napping and folding your hands while you rest,

Thou wilt sleep a little, said I, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to rest:

34 [soon] you will become poor; [it will be as though] [PRS, SIM] a bandit who had a weapon in his hand [attacked you and stole all that you had].

And poverty shall come to thee as a runner, and beggary as an armed man.