Proverbs 24
24
1Do not be #Ps. 1:1; 37:1; Prov. 23:17envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;
2For their heart devises violence,
And their lips talk of troublemaking.
3Through wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
4By knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5#Prov. 21:22; Eccl. 9:16A wise man is strong,
Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;
6#Luke 14:31For by wise counsel you will wage your own war,
And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.
7#Ps. 10:5; Prov. 14:6Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;
He does not open his mouth in the gate.
8He who #Prov. 6:14; 14:22; Rom. 1:30plots to do evil
Will be called a schemer.
9The devising of foolishness is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10If you #Deut. 20:8; Job 4:5; Jer. 51:46; Heb. 12:3faint in the day of adversity,
Your strength is small.
11#Ps. 82:4; Is. 58:6, 7; 1 John 3:16Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
12If you say, “Surely we did not know this,”
Does not #1 Sam. 16:7; Prov. 21:2He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man #Job 34:11; Ps. 62:12; Rev. 2:23; 22:12according to his deeds?
13My son, #Ps. 19:10; 119:103; Prov. 25:16; Song 5:1eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
14#Ps. 19:10; 58:11; Prov. 23:18So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;
If you have found it, there is a prospect,
And your hope will not be cut off.
15Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;
Do not plunder his resting place;
16#Job 5:19; (Ps. 34:19; 37:24; Mic. 7:8)For a righteous man may fall seven times
And rise again,
#Esth. 7:10; Amos 5:2But the wicked shall fall by calamity.
17#Job 31:29; Ps. 35:15, 19; (Prov. 17:5); Obad. 12Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him,
And He turn away His wrath from him.
19#Ps. 37:1Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the wicked;
20For there will be no prospect for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21My son, #(Rom. 13:7; 1 Pet. 2:17)fear the Lord and the king;
Do not associate with those given to change;
22For their calamity will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin those two can bring?
Further Sayings of the Wise
23These things also belong to the wise:
#Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:17; 16:19; (John 7:24)It is not good to show partiality in judgment.
24#Prov. 17:15; Is. 5:23He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Him the people will curse;
Nations will abhor him.
25But those who rebuke the wicked will have #Prov. 28:23delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
27#1 Kin. 5:17; Prov. 27:23–27Prepare your outside work,
Make it fit for yourself in the field;
And afterward build your house.
28#Lev. 6:2, 3; 19:11; Eph. 4:25Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
For would you deceive with your lips?
29#(Prov. 20:22; Matt. 5:39–44; Rom. 12:17–19)Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”
30I went by the field of the lazy man,
And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31And there it was, #Gen. 3:18all overgrown with thorns;
Its surface was covered with nettles;
Its stone wall was broken down.
32When I saw it, I considered it well;
I looked on it and received instruction:
33#Prov. 6:9, 10A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest;
34#Prov. 6:9–11So shall your poverty come like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.
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Proverbs 24: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 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.