Proverbs 24

²Evil people spend their time planning harm. Their mouths are full of trouble.

³Wisdom builds a house. Good thinking makes it stand firm.

⁴Knowledge fills a home with beautiful and good things. Every room is richer because of it.

⁵A wise person is strong. The more you know, the stronger you become.

⁶Wise advice helps you face hard battles. Many good advisors keep you safe.

⁷Wisdom is too high for a foolish person. They have nothing true to offer.

⁸Anyone who plans to do evil will be known as a troublemaker. That is their name.

⁹Even thinking foolish thoughts is doing wrong. And someone who mocks and scorns is hated by people.

¹⁰If you give up when hard times come, your strength is very small. Hard times show what you are made of.

¹¹If someone is in great danger and you do nothing, that is wrong. You must not look away.

¹²You cannot say, 'I did not know.' God knows your heart. He sees everything. He will repay everyone for what they have done.

¹³My child, eat honey — it is good and it is sweet. Enjoy it!

¹⁴Wisdom is just as sweet to your soul as honey is to your mouth. Find it and you will be rewarded. Your hope will not be taken away.

¹⁵Do not plan an attack against a good person's home. Do not try to ruin their safe place.

¹⁶A good person falls down many times. But they always get back up. The wicked fall and do not rise.

¹⁷Do not celebrate when your enemy falls. Do not let your heart be glad when they stumble.

¹⁸God will see if you gloat. It will not please Him. He may even stop punishing your enemy because of your pride.

¹⁹Do not worry and fuss about evil people. Do not wish you had what they have.

²⁰Evil people will have no lasting reward. Their light will be put out like a candle.

²¹My child, respect God and respect the king. Do not get caught up with people who rebel and cause trouble.

²²Big trouble comes suddenly to those who rebel. No one knows how bad the ruin will be.

²³Here is more wisdom. It is not right to treat people differently in a court of law. Every person must be judged fairly.

²⁴Anyone who tells a wicked person that they are doing right will be cursed by people. Nations will hate them.

²⁵But those who correct the wicked will be delighted. A good blessing will come to them.

²⁶A person who gives a true and right answer is deeply valued. Everyone loves a true word.

²⁷First do your outside work. Get the field ready. Then build your house. Do things in the right order.

²⁸Do not speak against your neighbour without a real reason. Do not lie with your mouth.

²⁹Do not say, 'I will pay them back for what they did to me.' Leave justice to God. Do not take revenge.

³⁰One day I walked past the field of a lazy person. I saw the farm of a man with no wisdom.

³¹The field was full of weeds and thorns. Nettles covered everything. The wall was broken down.

³²I looked carefully at all of it. I thought hard about what I saw. And I learned from it.

³³Just a little more sleep. Just a little more rest. Just folding my hands to sleep a bit longer.

³⁴Then poverty will come like a traveller walking toward you. Your need will come like a soldier ready to fight. You will not be able to stop it.