Proverbs 24
24
1Don’t envy evil people,
and don’t long to be with them.
2Their hearts are focused on violence,
and their lips speak of trouble.
3By wisdom a house is built;
by understanding it is established.
4By knowledge rooms are filled
with all precious and pleasant wealth.
5A wise person is mightier than a strong one;#24.5 LXX; MT A wise man is strong.
a knowledgeable person than a powerful one.
6You should make war with guidance;
victory comes with many counselors.
7Wisdom is beyond foolish people.
They don’t open their mouths in the gate.
8Those who plot evil
will be called master schemers.
9The scheming of fools is sin;
people detest mockers.
10If you show yourself weak on a day of distress,
your strength is too small.
11Rescue those being taken off to death;
and from those staggering to the slaughter, don’t hold back.
12If you say, “Look, we didn’t know about it,”
the one who weighs hearts—doesn’t he understand?
The one who protects your life—he knows.
He makes people pay for their actions.
13My child, eat honey, for it is good.
The honeycomb is sweet in your mouth.
14Know that wisdom is like that for your whole being.
If you find it, there is a future.
Your hope won’t be cut off.
15Wicked one, don’t wait secretly at the home of the righteous.
Don’t destroy their dwelling.
16The righteous may fall seven times but still get up,
but the wicked will stumble into trouble.
17When your enemies fall, don’t rejoice.
When they stumble, don’t let your heart be glad,
18or the LORD will see it and be displeased,
and he will turn his anger from them.
19Don’t get fighting mad at evil people;
don’t be envious of the wicked.
20Indeed, there is no future for the evil;
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21Fear the LORD, my child, as well as the king.
Don’t associate with those who are rebellious.
22Disaster comes suddenly from them.
Who can know the ruin that both can bring?
More sayings of the wise
23These are also the sayings of the wise:
Partiality in judgment isn’t good.
24Those who say to the guilty, “You are innocent”—
the people will curse them.
Nations will condemn them.
25But it will go well for those who rebuke them.
A rich blessing will come to them.
26Those who speak honestly
are like those who kiss on the lips.
27Get your outside work done;
make preparations in the field;
then you can build your house.
28Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without reason;
don’t deceive with your lips.
29Don’t say, “I’ll do to them what they did to me.
I’ll pay them back for their actions.”
30I happened upon the field of a lazy person,
by the vineyard of one with no sense.
31Thorns grew all over it;
weeds covered the ground,
and the stone wall was falling down.
32I observed this and took it to heart;
I saw it and learned a lesson.
33“A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little lying down with folded arms”—
34and poverty will come on you like a prowler,
deprivation like a man with a shield.
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Proverbs 24: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. 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.