Proverbs 24
24
1Don’t envy evil people
or try to be friends with them.
2Their minds are always planning violence,
and they always talk about making trouble.
3It takes wisdom to have a good family,
and it takes understanding to make it strong.
4It takes knowledge to fill a home
with rare and beautiful treasures.
5Wise people have great power,
and those with knowledge have great strength.
6So you need advice when you go to war.
If you have lots of good advice, you will win.
7Foolish people cannot understand wisdom.
They have nothing to say in a discussion.
8Whoever makes evil plans
will be known as a troublemaker.
9Making foolish plans is sinful,
and making fun of wisdom is hateful.
10If you give up when trouble comes,
it shows that you are weak.
11Save those who are being led to their death;
rescue those who are about to be killed.
12If you say, “We don’t know anything about this,”
God, who knows what’s in your mind, will notice.
He is watching you, and he will know.
He will reward each person for what he has done.
13My child, eat honey because it is good.
Honey from the honeycomb tastes sweet.
14In the same way, wisdom is pleasing to you.
If you find it, you have hope for the future,
and your wishes will come true.
15Don’t be wicked and attack a good family’s house;
don’t rob the place where they live.
16Even though good people may be bothered by trouble seven times, they are never defeated,
but the wicked are overwhelmed by trouble.
17Don’t be happy when your enemy is defeated;
don’t be glad when he is overwhelmed.
18The Lord will notice and be displeased.
He may not be angry with them anymore.
19Don’t envy evil people,
and don’t be jealous of the wicked.
20An evil person has nothing to hope for;
the wicked will die like a flame that is put out.
21My child, respect the Lord and the king.
Don’t join those people who refuse to obey them.
22The Lord and the king will quickly destroy such people.
Those two can cause great disaster!
More Words of Wisdom
23These are also sayings of the wise:
It is not good to take sides when you are the judge.
24Don’t tell the wicked that they are innocent;
people will curse you, and nations will hate you.
25But things will go well if you punish the guilty,
and you will receive rich blessings.
26An honest answer is as pleasing
as a kiss on the lips.
27First, finish your outside work
and prepare your fields.
After that, you can build your house.
28Don’t testify against your neighbor for no good reason.
Don’t say things that are false.
29Don’t say, “I’ll get even;
I’ll do to him what he did to me.”
30I passed by a lazy person’s field
and by the vineyard of someone with no sense.
31Thorns had grown up everywhere.
The ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone walls had fallen down.
32I thought about what I had seen;
I learned this lesson from what I saw.
33You sleep a little; you take a nap.
You fold your hands and lie down to rest.
34Soon you will be as poor as if you had been robbed;
you will have as little as if you had been held up.
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Proverbs 24: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 24
24
The Nineteenth Saying
1Don't be envious of evil people, and don't try to make friends with them. 2Causing trouble is all they ever think about; every time they open their mouth someone is going to be hurt.
The Twentieth Saying
3Homes are built on the foundation of wisdom and understanding.#24.3 Homes… understanding; or It takes care to lay the foundations of a house, and skill to build it. 4Where there is knowledge, the rooms are furnished with valuable, beautiful things.
The 21st Saying
5Being wise is better than being strong;#24.5 Some ancient translations Being wise is better than being strong; Hebrew A person is wise in strength. yes, knowledge is more important than strength. 6After all, you must make careful plans before you fight a battle, and the more good advice you get, the more likely you are to win.
The 22nd Saying
7Wise sayings are too deep for stupid people to understand. They have nothing to say when important matters are being discussed.
The 23rd Saying
8If you are always planning evil, you will earn a reputation as a troublemaker. 9Any scheme a fool thinks up is sinful. People hate a person who has nothing but scorn for others.
The 24th Saying
10If you are weak in a crisis, you are weak indeed.
The 25th Saying
11Don't hesitate to rescue someone who is about to be executed unjustly. 12You may say that it is none of your business, but God knows and judges your motives. He keeps watch on you; he knows. And he will reward you according to what you do.
The 26th Saying
13Son, eat honey; it is good. And just as honey from the comb is sweet on your tongue, 14you may be sure that wisdom is good for the soul. Get wisdom and you have a bright future.
The 27th Saying
15Don't be like the wicked who scheme to rob honest people or to take away their homes. 16No matter how often honest people fall, they always get up again; but disaster destroys the wicked.
The 28th Saying
17Don't be glad when your enemies meet disaster, and don't rejoice when they stumble. 18The LORD will know if you are gloating, and he will not like it; and then he might not punish them.
The 29th Saying
19Don't let evil people worry you; don't be envious of them. 20A wicked person has no future — nothing to look forward to.
The Thirtieth Saying
21Have reverence for the LORD, my child, and honour the king. Have nothing to do with people who rebel against them; 22such people could be ruined in a moment. Do you realize the disaster that God or the king can cause?
More Wise Sayings
23The wise have also said these things:
It is wrong for judges to be prejudiced. 24If they pronounce a guilty person innocent, they will be cursed and hated by everyone. 25Judges who punish the guilty, however, will be prosperous and enjoy a good reputation.
26An honest answer is a sign of true friendship.
27Don't build your house and establish a home until your fields are ready, and you are sure that you can earn a living.
28Don't give evidence against someone else without good reason, or say misleading things about him. 29Don't say, “I'll do to him just what he did to me! I'll get even with him!”
30I walked through the fields and vineyards of a lazy, stupid person. 31They were full of thorn bushes and overgrown with weeds. The stone wall round them had fallen down. 32I looked at this, thought about it, and learned a lesson from it: 33#Prov 6.10–11have a nap and sleep if you want to. Fold your hands and rest awhile, 34but while you are asleep, poverty will attack you like an armed robber.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.