Proverbs 24
1 Do not envy evil people; do not desire to associate with them,
Be thou not envious of bad men, and do not long 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).
For their heart meditateth destruction, and of mischief do their lips speak.
3 People make good houses (OR, families) by doing what is wise, and they make their houses (OR, families) strong by [heeding] good advice.
Through wisdom is a house built; and through understanding is it firmly established;
4 By using good sense, [they are able to buy] valuable and beautiful things and put them in the rooms of their houses.
And through knowledge are chambers filled with all manner of precious and pleasant 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 [always] in power; and a man of knowledge fortifieth [his] strength.
6 Leaders can fight battles if they have wise advisors, and they win those battles if they have many good advisors.
For by wise counsel canst thou conduct thy war; and there is help in a multitude of counsellors.
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 can he not open his mouth.
8 Those who are [always] planning to do evil things will be called troublemakers.
Him that deviseth to do evil, men call a master of wicked devices.
9 It is sinful to plan to do foolish things, and people hate those who make fun of [everything that is good].
The counsel of folly is sin; and an abomination to men is the scorner.
10 If you [act as though] you are helpless when you have troubles, you are [truly very] weak.
If thou despond on the day of distress, thy strength is small.
11 [If it is unjustly decided] that someone must be executed, [try hard to] rescue them [DOU].
Deliver those that are taken unto death, and those that are moved away to the slaughter hold back.
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 shouldst say, Behold, we know not this man: lo, he that weigheth hearts will truly regard it, and he that keepeth thy soul will surely know it; and he will give a recompense to man according to his doing.
13 My child/son, eat honey, because it is good [for you]; the honey that drips from honeycombs tastes [very] sweet.
Eat honey, my son, because it is good; and the fine honey, which is sweet to thy palate:
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 obtain the knowledge of wisdom for thy soul: when thou hast found her, then shall there be a [happy] future, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
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, O wicked man! against the dwelling of the righteous; waste not his resting-place;
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 though the righteous were to fall seven times, he will rise up again; but the wicked shall stumble into misfortune.
17 Do not be happy when something bad happens to one of your enemies; do not rejoice when he stumbles and falls,
At the fall of thy enemy do not rejoice; and at his stumbling let not thy heart be glad:
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 it and it be displeasing in his eyes, and he turn away from him his wrath.
19 Do not become angry/upset about those who do what is evil, and do not [SYN] envy them,
Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious of the wicked;
20 because [nothing good] will happen to wicked people; they are [like] a lamp that will soon be extinguished [MET].
For there will be no [happy] future for the bad man: the lamp of the wicked will be quenched.
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: with those that are desirous to change do not mingle thyself;
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 suddenly will their calamity arise; and who knoweth the ruin of both of them!
23 Here are more things that wise [people] have said: It is wrong for judges to decide matters unfairly [IDM].
These things also are for the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
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,
Him that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, will the people denounce, him will nations hold accursed;
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).
But to those that punish delight shall be given, and upon them shall come the blessing of the good.
26 Those who answer others honestly show that they are truly their friends [IDM].
Men will kiss the lips of him that giveth a proper answer.
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 without thy work, and make it fit in the field for thyself: and afterward 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 without cause a witness against thy neighbor; for wouldst thou beguile 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, As he hath done to me so will I do to him: I will recompense every man according to his doing.
30 One day I walked by the vineyards of a lazy man, a man who did not have good sense.
By the field of a slothful man I once passed along, and by the vineyard of a man void of sense:
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, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, nettles had covered its surface, and its stone-wall was broken down.
32 When I saw that, I thought about it, and I learned this:
And when I had indeed beheld [this] I took it to my heart: I saw it, and received a warning.
33 [If you spend a lot of time] sleeping and napping and folding your hands while you rest,
“A little [more] sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in lying down;”
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].
But then will thy poverty come like a rover; and thy wants as a man armed with a shield.
