Proverbs 24:5-31
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 24
5A wise man is strong, And a person of knowledge increases power. 6For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in an abundance of counselors there is victory. 7Wisdom is too exalted for a fool, He does not open his mouth at the gate. 8One who plans to do evil, People will call a schemer. 9The devising of foolishness is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to humanity. 10 If you show yourself lacking courage on the day of distress, Your strength is meager. 11Rescue those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to the slaughter, Oh hold them back! 12If 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 repay a person according to his work? 13My son, eat honey, for it is good; Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste; 14Know that wisdom is the same for your soul; If you find it, then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off. 15Do not lie in ambush, you wicked person, against the home of the righteous; Do not destroy his resting place; 16For a righteous person falls seven times and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of disaster. 17Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, 18Otherwise, the Lord will see and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him. 19Do not get upset because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked; 20For there will be no future for the evil person; The lamp of the wicked will be put out. 21My son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not get involved with those of high rank, 22For their disaster will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin that can come from both of them? 23These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good. 24One who says to the wicked, 'You are righteous,' Peoples will curse him, nations will scold him; 25But for those who rebuke the wicked there will be delight, And a good blessing will come upon them. 26One who gives a right answer Kisses the lips. 27Prepare your work outside, And make it ready for yourself in the field; Afterward, then, build your house. 28Do not be a witness against your neighbor for no reason, And do not deceive with your lips. 29Do not say, 'I shall do the same to him as he has done to me; I will repay the person according to his work.' 30I passed by the field of a lazy one, And by the vineyard of a person lacking sense, 31And behold, it was completely overgrown with weeds; Its surface was covered with weeds, And its stone wall was broken down.King James Version
Chapter 24
5A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. 6For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellers there is safety.
7Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.
8He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
9The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
11If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;
12If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?
13My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:
14So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.
15Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:
16For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
18Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;
20For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
21My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
22For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
23These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:
25But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
26Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 24
5A wise warrior is better than a strong one, and a man of knowledge than one of strength;
7Wisdom is inaccessible to a fool; he does not open his mouth at the city gate.
8The one who plots evil will be called a schemer.
9A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to people.
10If you do nothing in a difficult time, your strength is limited.
11Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter.
12If you say, "But we didn't know about this," won't he who weighs hearts consider it? Won't he who protects your life know? Won't he repay a person according to his work?
13Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your palate;
14realize that wisdom is the same for you. If you find it, you will have a future, and your hope will never fade.
15Don't set an ambush, you wicked one, at the camp of the righteous man; don't destroy his dwelling.
16Though a righteous person falls seven times, he will get up, but the wicked will stumble into ruin.
17Don't gloat when your enemy falls, and don't let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
18or the Lord will see, be displeased, and turn his wrath away from him.
19Don't be agitated by evildoers, and don't envy the wicked.
20For the evil have no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21My son, fear the Lord, as well as the king, and don't associate with rebels,
22for destruction will come suddenly from them; who knows what distress these two can bring?
23These sayings also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment.
24Whoever says to the guilty, "You are innocent" -- peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
New Living Translation
Chapter 24
5The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger. 6So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.
8A person who plans evil will get a reputation as a troublemaker.
9The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone detests a mocker.
11Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death.
12Don’t excuse yourself by saying, 'Look, we didn’t know.' For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
13My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste.
14In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short.
15Don’t wait in ambush at the home of the godly, and don’t raid the house where the godly live.
16The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.
17Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall; don’t be happy when they stumble.
18For the Lord will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them.
19Don’t fret because of evildoers; don’t envy the wicked.
20For evil people have no future; the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21My child, fear the Lord and the king. Don’t associate with rebels,
22for disaster will hit them suddenly. Who knows what punishment will come from the Lord and the king?
23Here are some further sayings of the wise: It is wrong to show favoritism when passing judgment.
24A judge who says to the wicked, 'You are innocent,' will be cursed by many people and denounced by the nations.
25But it will go well for those who convict the guilty; rich blessings will be showered on them.
English Standard Version
Chapter 24
5A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, 6for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. 7Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth. 8Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. 9The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. 10If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. 11Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. 12If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? 13My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. 14Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. 15Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; 16for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. 17Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, 18lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. 19Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, 20for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. 21My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, 22for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both? 23These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good.
24Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations,
25but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them.
26Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.
27Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.
28Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
29Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.”
30I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,
31and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
New International Version
Chapter 24
5The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength. 6Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers. 7Wisdom is too high for fools; in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths. 8Whoever plots evil will be known as a schemer. 9The schemes of folly are sin, and people detest a mocker. 10If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength! 11Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. 12If you say, 'But we knew nothing about this,' does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done? 13Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. 14Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. 15Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous, do not plunder their dwelling place; 16for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. 17Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, 18or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them. 19Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, 20for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out. 21Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with rebellious officials, 22for those two will send sudden destruction on them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?
23These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good:
24Whoever says to the guilty, 'You are innocent,' will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
New King James Version
Chapter 24
5 A wise man is strong, Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength; 6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety. 7 Wisdom is too lofty for a fool; He does not open his mouth in the gate. 8He who plots to do evil Will be called a schemer. 9The devising of foolishness is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men. 10 If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small. 11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. 12If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds? 13My son, eat honey because it is good, And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste; 14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off. 15Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not plunder his resting place; 16 For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity. 17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him. 19 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the wicked; 20For there will be no prospect for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out. 21My son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those given to change; 22For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin those two can bring?
23These things also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Him the people will curse; Nations will abhor him.
25But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, And a good blessing will come upon them.
26He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
27 Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, For would you deceive with your lips?
29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”
30I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down.
