Proverbs 24

24Don’t envy the evil^f

or desire to be with them,^g

²for their hearts plan violence,

and their words stir up trouble.^h

³A house is built by wisdom,ⁱ

and it is established by understanding;

⁴by knowledge the rooms are filled

with every precious and beautiful treasure.

⁵A wise warrior is better than a strong one,^A

and a man of knowledge than one of strength;^Bj

⁶for you should wage war with sound guidance—

victory comes with many counselors.^k

⁷Wisdom is inaccessible to^C a fool;^l

he does not open his mouth at the city gate.^m

⁸The one who plots evilⁿ

will be called a schemer.

⁹A foolish scheme is sin,

and a mocker is detestable to people.

¹⁰If you do nothing in a difficult time,

your strength is limited.

¹¹Rescue those being taken off to death,

and save those stumbling toward slaughter.^o

¹²If you say, “But we didn’t know about this,”

won’t he who weighs hearts^p consider it?

Won’t he who protects your life^q know?

Won’t he repay a person according to his work?^r

¹³Eat honey,^s my son, for it is good,

and the honeycomb is sweet to your palate;^t

¹⁴realize that wisdom is the same for you.^u

If you find it, you will have a future,

and your hope will never fade.^v

¹⁵Don’t set an ambush, you wicked one,

at the camp of the righteous man;^w

don’t destroy his dwelling.

¹⁶Though a righteous person falls seven times,

he will get up,^x

but the wicked will stumble into ruin.^y

¹⁷Don’t gloat when your enemy falls,

and don’t let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,^z

¹⁸or the Lord will see, be displeased,

and turn his wrath away from him.

¹⁹Don’t be agitated by evildoers,

and don’t envy the wicked.^aa

²⁰For the evil have no future;^ab

the lamp of the wicked will be put out.^ac

²¹My son, fear the Lord, as well as the king,^ad

and don’t associate with rebels,^D

²²for destruction will come suddenly from them;

who knows what distress these two can bring?

²³These sayings also belong to the wise:^ae

It is not good to show partiality in judgment.^af

²⁴Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent”^ag —

peoples will curse him,^ah and nations will denounce him;

²⁵but it will go well with those who convict the guilty,

and a generous blessing will come to them.

²⁶He who gives an honest answer

gives a kiss on the lips.

²⁷Complete your outdoor work, and prepare your field;^a

afterward, build your house.

²⁸Don’t testify against your neighbor without cause.^b

Don’t deceive with your lips.

²⁹Don’t say, “I’ll do to him what he did to me;

I’ll repay the man for what he has done.”^c

³⁰I went by the field of a slacker

and by the vineyard of one lacking sense.

³¹Thistles had come up everywhere,

weeds covered the ground,^d

and the stone wall was ruined.

³²I saw, and took it to heart;

I looked, and received instruction:

³³a little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the arms to rest,

³⁴and your poverty will come like a robber,

and your need, like a bandit.^e