Proverbs 24
24
–19–
1Don't be jealous of crooks
or want to be their friends.
2All they think about
and talk about
is violence and cruelty.
–20–
3Use wisdom and understanding
to establish your home;
4let good sense fill the rooms
with priceless treasures.
–21–
5Wisdom brings strength,
and knowledge gives power.
6Battles are won
by listening to advice
and making a lot of plans.
–22–
7Wisdom is too much for fools!
Their advice is no good.
–23–
8No one but troublemakers
think up trouble.
9Everyone hates senseless fools
who think up ways to sin.
–24–
10Don't give up and be helpless
in times of trouble.
–25–
11Don't fail to rescue those
who are doomed to die.
12Don't say, “I didn't know it!”
God can read your mind.
He watches each of us
and knows our thoughts.
And God will pay us back
for what we do.
–26–
13Honey is good for you,
my children,
and it tastes sweet.
14Wisdom is like honey
for your life—
if you find it,
your future is bright.
–27–
15Don't be a cruel person
who attacks good people
and hurts their families.
16Even if good people
fall seven times,
they will get back up.
But when trouble strikes
the wicked,
that's the end of them.
–28–
17Don't be happy
to see your enemies trip
and fall down.
18The Lord will find out
and be unhappy.
Then he will stop
being angry with them.
–29–
19Don't let evil people
worry you
or make you jealous.
20They will soon be gone
like the flame of a lamp
that burns out.
–30–
21My children, you must respect
the Lord and the king,
and you must not make friends
with anyone who rebels
against either of them.
22Who knows what sudden disaster
the Lord or a ruler
might bring?
More Sayings That Make Good Sense
23Here are some more sayings
that make good sense:
When you judge,
you must be fair.
24If you let the guilty
go free,
people of all nations
will hate and curse you.
25But if you punish the guilty,
things will go well for you,
and you will prosper.
26Giving an honest answer
is a sign
of true friendship.
27Get your fields ready
and plant your crops
before starting a home.
28Don't accuse anyone
who isn't guilty.
Don't ever tell a lie
29or say to someone,
“I'll get even with you!”
30I once walked by the field
and the vineyard
of a lazy fool.
31Thorns and weeds
were everywhere,
and the stone wall
had fallen down.
32When I saw this,
it taught me a lesson:
33 #
Pr 6.10,11. Sleep a little. Doze a little.
Fold your hands
and twiddle your thumbs.
34Suddenly poverty hits you
and everything is gone!
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Proverbs 24: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. 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.