New American Standard Bible 1995

Proverbs 24

Precepts and Warnings

1Do not be 1envious of evil men, Nor desire to 2be with them;2For their 3minds devise 4violence, And their lips 5talk of trouble.

3 6By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established;4And by knowledge the rooms are 7filled With all precious and pleasant riches.

5A 8wise man is 9strong, And a man of knowledge 10increases power.6For 11by wise guidance you will 12wage war, And 13in abundance of counselors there is victory.

7Wisdom is 14too exalted for a fool, He does not open his mouth 15in the gate.

8One who 16plans to do evil, Men will call a 17schemer.9The 18devising of folly is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

10If you 19are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited.

11 20Deliver 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 21consider it 22who weighs the hearts? And 23does He not know it who 24keeps your soul? And will He not 25 26render to man according to his work?

13My son, eat 27honey, for it is good, Yes, the 28honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;14Know that 29wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find it, then there will be a 30 31future, And your hope will not be cut off.

15 32Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not destroy his resting place;16For a 33righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the 34wicked stumble in time of calamity.

17 35Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;18Or the Lord will see it and 36be displeased, And turn His anger away from him.

19 37Do not fret because of evildoers Or be 38envious of the wicked;20For 39there will be no 40 41future for the evil man; The 42lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21My son, 43 44fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change,22For their 45calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?

23These also are 46sayings of the wise. To 47 48show partiality in judgment is not good.24He 49who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” 50Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;25But 51to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight, And a good blessing will come upon them.26He kisses the lips Who gives 52a right answer.

27Prepare your work outside And 53make it ready for yourself in the field; Afterwards, then, build your house.

28Do not be a 54witness against your neighbor without cause, And 55do not deceive with your lips.29 56Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will 57render to the man according to his work.”

30I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man 58lacking 59sense,31And behold, it was completely 60overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with 61 62nettles, And its stone 63wall was broken down.32When I saw, I 64reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction.33“65A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,”34Then your poverty will come as 66a robber And your want like 67an armed man.

Notes

1. Proverbs 24:1 Ps 37:1; Prov 3:31; 23:17; 24:19 ↩
2. Proverbs 24:1 Ps 1:1; Prov 1:15 ↩
3. Proverbs 24:2 Lit hearts ↩
4. Proverbs 24:2 Is 30:12; Jer 22:17 ↩
5. Proverbs 24:2 Job 15:35; Ps 10:7; 38:12 ↩
6. Proverbs 24:3 Prov 9:1; 14:1 ↩
7. Proverbs 24:4 Prov 8:21 ↩
8. Proverbs 24:5 Prov 21:22 ↩
9. Proverbs 24:5 Lit in strength ↩
10. Proverbs 24:5 Lit strengthens power ↩
11. Proverbs 24:6 Prov 20:18 ↩
12. Proverbs 24:6 Lit make battle for yourself ↩
13. Proverbs 24:6 Prov 11:14 ↩
14. Proverbs 24:7 Ps 10:5; Prov 14:6; 17:16 ↩
15. Proverbs 24:7 Job 5:4; Ps 127:5 ↩
16. Proverbs 24:8 Prov 6:14; 14:22; Rom 1:30 ↩
17. Proverbs 24:8 Or deviser of evil ↩
18. Proverbs 24:9 Matt 15:19; Acts 8:22 ↩
19. Proverbs 24:10 Deut 20:8; Job 4:5; Jer 51:46; Heb 12:3 ↩
20. Proverbs 24:11 Ps 82:4; Is 58:6, 7 ↩
21. Proverbs 24:12 Eccl 5:8 ↩
22. Proverbs 24:12 1 Sam 16:7; Prov 21:2 ↩
23. Proverbs 24:12 Ps 94:9-11 ↩
24. Proverbs 24:12 Ps 121:3-8 ↩
25. Proverbs 24:12 Lit bring back ↩
26. Proverbs 24:12 Job 34:11; Prov 12:14 ↩
27. Proverbs 24:13 Ps 19:10; 119:103; Prov 25:16; Song 5:1 ↩
28. Proverbs 24:13 Prov 16:24; 27:7; Song 4:11 ↩
29. Proverbs 24:14 Prov 2:10 ↩
30. Proverbs 24:14 Lit latter end ↩
31. Proverbs 24:14 Prov 23:18 ↩
32. Proverbs 24:15 Ps 10:9, 10 ↩
33. Proverbs 24:16 Job 5:19; Ps 37:24; Mic 7:8 ↩
34. Proverbs 24:16 Prov 6:15; 14:32; 24:22; Jer 18:17 ↩
35. Proverbs 24:17 Job 31:29; Ps 35:15, 19; Prov 17:5; Obad 12 ↩
36. Proverbs 24:18 Lit it is evil in His eyes ↩
37. Proverbs 24:19 Ps 37:1 ↩
38. Proverbs 24:19 Prov 23:17; 24:1 ↩
39. Proverbs 24:20 Job 15:31 ↩
40. Proverbs 24:20 Lit latter end ↩
41. Proverbs 24:20 Prov 23:18 ↩
42. Proverbs 24:20 Job 18:5, 6; 21:17; Prov 13:9; 20:20 ↩
43. Proverbs 24:21 Or reverence ↩
44. Proverbs 24:21 Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:17 ↩
45. Proverbs 24:22 Prov 24:16 ↩
46. Proverbs 24:23 Prov 1:6; 22:17 ↩
47. Proverbs 24:23 Lit regard the face ↩
48. Proverbs 24:23 Prov 18:5; 28:21 ↩
49. Proverbs 24:24 Prov 17:15; Is 5:23 ↩
50. Proverbs 24:24 Prov 11:26 ↩
51. Proverbs 24:25 Prov 28:23 ↩
52. Proverbs 24:26 Or an honest ↩
53. Proverbs 24:27 Prov 27:23-27 ↩
54. Proverbs 24:28 Prov 25:18 ↩
55. Proverbs 24:28 Lev 6:2, 3; 19:11; Eph 4:25 ↩
56. Proverbs 24:29 Prov 20:22; Matt 5:39; Rom 12:17 ↩
57. Proverbs 24:29 Lit bring back ↩
58. Proverbs 24:30 Prov 6:32 ↩
59. Proverbs 24:30 Lit heart ↩
60. Proverbs 24:31 Gen 3:18 ↩
61. Proverbs 24:31 I.e. a kind of weed ↩
62. Proverbs 24:31 Job 30:7 ↩
63. Proverbs 24:31 Is 5:5 ↩
64. Proverbs 24:32 Lit set my heart ↩
65. Proverbs 24:33 Prov 6:10 ↩
66. Proverbs 24:34 Or a vagabond; lit one who walks ↩
67. Proverbs 24:34 Lit a man with a shield ↩

Precepts and Warnings

Notes

Commentaries on Proverbs 24