Precepts and Warnings
24 Do not be (A)envious of evil people,
Nor desire to (B)be with them;
2 For their [a]minds plot (C)violence,
And their lips (D)talk of trouble.
3 (E)By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
4 And by knowledge the rooms are (F)filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A (G)wise man is [b]strong,
And a person of knowledge [c]increases power.
6 For (H)by wise guidance you will [d]wage war,
And (I)in an abundance of counselors there is victory.
7 Wisdom is (J)too exalted for a fool,
He does not open his mouth (K)at the gate.
8 One who (L)plans to do evil,
People will call a [e]schemer.
9 The (M)devising of foolishness is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to humanity.
10 If you (N)show yourself lacking courage on the day of distress,
Your strength is meager.
11 (O)Rescue those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to the slaughter, Oh hold them back!
12 If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He (P)who weighs the hearts not (Q)consider it?
And (R)does He who (S)watches over your soul not know it?
And will He not [f](T)repay a person according to his work?
13 My son, eat (U)honey, for it is good;
Yes, the (V)honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
14 Know that (W)wisdom is the same for your soul;
If you find it, then there will be a [g](X)future,
And your hope will not be cut off.
15 (Y)Do not lie in ambush, you wicked person, against the home of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
16 For a (Z)righteous person falls seven times and rises again,
But the (AA)wicked stumble in time of disaster.
17 (AB)Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
18 Otherwise, the Lord will see and [h]be displeased,
And turn His anger away from him.
19 (AC)Do not get upset because of evildoers
Or be (AD)envious of the wicked;
20 For (AE)there will be no [i](AF)future for the evil person;
The (AG)lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21 My son, [j](AH)fear the Lord and the king;
Do not get involved with those [k]of high rank,
22 For their (AI)disaster will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin that can come from both of them?
23 These also are (AJ)sayings of the wise:
To [l](AK)show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 One (AL)who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
(AM)Peoples will curse him, nations will scold him;
25 But (AN)for those who rebuke the wicked there will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 One who gives [m]a right answer
Kisses the lips.
27 Prepare your work outside,
And (AO)make it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterward, then, build your house.
28 Do not be a (AP)witness against your neighbor for no reason,
And (AQ)do not deceive with your lips.
29 (AR)Do not say, “I shall do the same to him as he has done to me;
I will [n]repay the person according to his work.”
30 I passed by the field of [o]a lazy one,
And by the vineyard of a person (AS)lacking [p]sense,
31 And behold, it was completely (AT)overgrown with weeds;
Its surface was covered with (AU)weeds,
And its stone (AV)wall was broken down.
32 When I saw, I [q]reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
33 “(AW)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
34 Then your poverty will come like [r]a drifter,
And your need like [s]an armed man.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:2 Lit hearts
- Proverbs 24:5 Lit in strength
- Proverbs 24:5 Lit strengthens power
- Proverbs 24:6 Lit make battle for yourself
- Proverbs 24:8 Or deviser of evil
- Proverbs 24:12 Lit bring back to
- Proverbs 24:14 Lit latter end
- Proverbs 24:18 Lit it is evil in His eyes
- Proverbs 24:20 Lit latter end
- Proverbs 24:21 Or revere
- Proverbs 24:21 Or who change
- Proverbs 24:23 Lit regard the face
- Proverbs 24:26 Or an honest
- Proverbs 24:29 Lit bring back
- Proverbs 24:30 Lit an idle
- Proverbs 24:30 Lit heart
- Proverbs 24:32 Lit set my heart
- Proverbs 24:34 Lit one who moves about
- Proverbs 24:34 Lit a man with a shield
Cross references
- Proverbs 24:1 : Ps 37:1; Prov 3:31; 23:17; 24:19
- Proverbs 24:1 : Ps 1:1; Prov 1:15
- Proverbs 24:2 : Is 30:12; Jer 22:17
- Proverbs 24:2 : Job 15:35; Ps 10:7; 38:12
- Proverbs 24:3 : Prov 9:1; 14:1
- Proverbs 24:4 : Prov 8:21
- Proverbs 24:5 : Prov 21:22
- Proverbs 24:6 : Prov 20:18
- Proverbs 24:6 : Prov 11:14
- Proverbs 24:7 : Ps 10:5; Prov 14:6; 17:16
- Proverbs 24:7 : Job 5:4; Ps 127:5
- Proverbs 24:8 : Prov 6:14; 14:22; Rom 1:30
- Proverbs 24:9 : Matt 15:19; Acts 8:22
- Proverbs 24:10 : Deut 20:8; Job 4:5; Jer 51:46; Heb 12:3
- Proverbs 24:11 : Ps 82:4; Is 58:6, 7
- Proverbs 24:12 : 1 Sam 16:7; Prov 21:2
- Proverbs 24:12 : Eccl 5:8
- Proverbs 24:12 : Ps 94:9-11
- Proverbs 24:12 : Ps 121:3-8
- Proverbs 24:12 : Job 34:11; Prov 12:14
- Proverbs 24:13 : Ps 19:10; 119:103; Prov 25:16; Song 5:1
- Proverbs 24:13 : Prov 16:24; 27:7; Song 4:11
- Proverbs 24:14 : Prov 2:10
- Proverbs 24:14 : Prov 23:18
- Proverbs 24:15 : Ps 10:9, 10
- Proverbs 24:16 : Job 5:19; Ps 37:24; Mic 7:8
- Proverbs 24:16 : Prov 6:15; 14:32; 24:22; Jer 18:17
- Proverbs 24:17 : Job 31:29; Ps 35:15, 19; Prov 17:5; Obad 12
- Proverbs 24:19 : Ps 37:1
- Proverbs 24:19 : Prov 23:17; 24:1
- Proverbs 24:20 : Job 15:31
- Proverbs 24:20 : Prov 23:18
- Proverbs 24:20 : Job 18:5, 6; 21:17; Prov 13:9; 20:20
- Proverbs 24:21 : Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:17
- Proverbs 24:22 : Prov 24:16
- Proverbs 24:23 : Prov 1:6; 22:17
- Proverbs 24:23 : Prov 18:5; 28:21
- Proverbs 24:24 : Prov 17:15; Is 5:23
- Proverbs 24:24 : Prov 11:26
- Proverbs 24:25 : Prov 28:23
- Proverbs 24:27 : Prov 27:23-27
- Proverbs 24:28 : Prov 25:18
- Proverbs 24:28 : Lev 6:2, 3; 19:11; Eph 4:25
- Proverbs 24:29 : Prov 20:22; Matt 5:39; Rom 12:17
- Proverbs 24:30 : Prov 6:32
- Proverbs 24:31 : Gen 3:18
- Proverbs 24:31 : Job 30:7
- Proverbs 24:31 : Is 5:5
- Proverbs 24:33 : Prov 6:10