24:1 Do not be envious of evil people,
Nor desire to be with them;
24:2 For their ①minds plot violence,
And their lips talk of trouble.
▷ ①Lit hearts
24:3 By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
24:4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
24:5 A wise man is ①strong,
And a person of knowledge ②increases power.
▷ ①Lit in strength ②Lit strengthens power
24:6 For by wise guidance you will ①wage war,
And in an abundance of counselors there is victory.
▷ ①Lit make battle for yourself
24:7 Wisdom is too exalted for a fool,
He does not open his mouth at the gate.
24:8 One who plans to do evil,
People will call a ①schemer.
▷ ①Or deviser of evil
24:9 The devising of foolishness is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to humanity.
24:10 If you show yourself lacking courage on the day of distress,
Your strength is meager.
24:11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to the slaughter, Oh hold them back!
24:12 If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He who weighs the hearts not consider it?
And does He who watches over your soul not know it?
And will He not ①repay a person according to his work?
▷ ①Lit bring back to
24:13 My son, eat honey, for it is good;
Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
24:14 Know that wisdom is the same for your soul;
If you find it, then there will be a ①future,
And your hope will not be cut off.
▷ ①Lit latter end
24:15 Do not lie in ambush, you wicked person, against the home of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
24:16 For a righteous person falls seven times and rises again,
But the wicked stumble in time of disaster.
24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
24:18 Otherwise, the LORD will see and ①be displeased,
And turn His anger away from him.
▷ ①Lit it is evil in His eyes
24:19 Do not get upset because of evildoers
Or be envious of the wicked;
24:20 For there will be no ①future for the evil person;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.
▷ ①Lit latter end
24:21 My son, ①fear the LORD and the king;
Do not get involved with those ②of high rank,
▷ ①Or revere ②Or who change
24:22 For their disaster will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin that can come from both of them?
24:23 These also are sayings of the wise:
To ①show partiality in judgment is not good.
▷ ①Lit regard the face
24:24 One who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Peoples will curse him, nations will scold him;
24:25 But for those who rebuke the wicked there will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
24:26 One who gives ①a right answer
Kisses the lips.
▷ ①Or an honest
24:27 Prepare your work outside,
And make it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterward, then, build your house.
24:28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor for no reason,
And do not deceive with your lips.
24:29 Do not say, “I shall do the same to him as he has done to me;
I will ①repay the person according to his work.”
▷ ①Lit bring back
24:30 I passed by the field of ①a lazy one,
And by the vineyard of a person lacking ②sense,
▷ ①Lit an idle ②Lit heart
24:31 And behold, it was completely overgrown with weeds;
Its surface was covered with weeds,
And its stone wall was broken down.
24:32 When I saw, I ①reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
▷ ①Lit set my heart
24:33 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
24:34 Then your poverty will come like ①a drifter,
And your need like ②an armed man.
▷ ①Lit one who moves about ②Lit a man with a shield