Proverbs 24:23-34

23These are more things that wise people have said: When you judge people, be fair. It is not good to respect some people more than others.

24A judge must not say to a guilty person, ‘You are not guilty.’ If he does say that, everyone will curse him. People of all nations will say that he is bad.

25When judges decide to punish a guilty person, they will be happy, because God will bless them.

26Somebody who gives you an honest answer is your true friend.

27Finish your work outside and prepare your fields. After that, you can build your house.

28If you do not know what is true, do not speak against your neighbour in court. Do not deceive people with what you say.

29Do not say, ‘I will do to him the same thing that he did to me. I will punish him because of what he did.’

30I walked past the field of a lazy person. And I walked past the vineyard of a stupid person.

31There were weeds and thorn bushes over all the ground. The wall of stones round the field had fallen down.

32I looked at this and I thought about it carefully. I learned a lesson from the things that I had seen:

33You may say, ‘I will have a short sleep. I will rest quietly for a while.’

34But while you sleep you will suddenly become poor. You will have nothing, as if someone has robbed you.