Proverbs 24

Chapter 24

Precepts and Warnings

¹Do not be ^aenvious of evil men,

Nor desire to ^bbe with them;

²For their ¹minds devise ^aviolence,

And their lips ^btalk of trouble.

^3aBy wisdom a house is built,

And by understanding it is established;

⁴And by knowledge the rooms are ^afilled

With all precious and pleasant riches.

⁵A ^awise man is ¹strong,

And a man of knowledge ²increases power.

⁶For ^aby wise guidance you will ¹wage war,

And ^bin abundance of counselors there is victory.

⁷Wisdom is ^atoo exalted for a fool,

He does not open his mouth ^bin the gate.

⁸One who ^aplans to do evil,

Men will call a ¹schemer.

⁹The ^adevising of folly is sin,

And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

¹⁰If you ^aare slack in the day of distress,

Your strength is limited.

^11aDeliver those who are being taken away to death,

And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.

¹²If you say, “See, we did not know this,”

Does He not ^aconsider it ^bwho weighs the hearts?

And ^cdoes He not know it who ^dkeeps your soul?

And will He not ^1erender to man according to his work?

¹³My son, eat ^ahoney, for it is good,

Yes, the ^bhoney from the comb is sweet to your taste;

¹⁴Know that ^awisdom is thus for your soul;

If you find it, then there will be a ^1bfuture,

And your hope will not be cut off.

^15aDo not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;

Do not destroy his resting place;

¹⁶For a ^arighteous man falls seven times, and rises again,

But the ^bwicked stumble in time of calamity.

^17aDo not rejoice when your enemy falls,

And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;

¹⁸Or the Lord will see it and ¹be displeased,

And turn His anger away from him.

^19aDo not fret because of evildoers

Or be ^benvious of the wicked;

²⁰For ^athere will be no ^1bfuture for the evil man;

The ^clamp of the wicked will be put out.

²¹My son, ^1afear the Lord and the king;

Do not associate with those who are given to change,

²²For their ^acalamity will rise suddenly,

And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?

²³These also are ^asayings of the wise.

To ^1bshow partiality in judgment is not good.

²⁴He ^awho says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”

^bPeoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;

²⁵But ^ato those who rebuke the wicked will be delight,

And a good blessing will come upon them.

²⁶He kisses the lips

Who gives ¹a right answer.

²⁷Prepare your work outside

And ^amake it ready for yourself in the field;

Afterwards, then, build your house.

²⁸Do not be a ^awitness against your neighbor without cause,

And ^bdo not deceive with your lips.

^29aDo not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me;

I will ¹render to the man according to his work.”

³⁰I passed by the field of the sluggard

And by the vineyard of the man ^alacking ¹sense,

³¹And behold, it was completely ^aovergrown with thistles;

Its surface was covered with ^1bnettles,

And its stone ^cwall was broken down.

³²When I saw, I ¹reflected upon it;

I looked, and received instruction.

³³“^aA little sleep, a little slumber,

A little folding of the hands to rest,”

³⁴Then your poverty will come as ¹a robber

And your want like ²an armed man.