Proverbs 24

19 of 30, sinners

1  Don’t envy bad people.
Don’t wish you could hang out with them.
2  They think violence.
They talk trouble.

20 of 30, homebuilding

3  Wisdom is what builds a home.
Understanding gives it structure.
4  Knowledge fills every room
With a wonderful treasure.

21 of 30, strength

5  Wisdom makes people strong.
A person with knowledge is stronger because of it.
6  It takes strategies to fight a war.
A big team of advisors will improve the odds of victory.

22 of 30, wisdom

7  Wisdom sounds fuzzy to fools. They can’t get it.
So, they’ve got nothing to contribute to it.

23 of 30, jerks

8  People constantly plotting to do what’s wrong
Have a name: crooks.
9  It’s wrong for people to scheme and scam, hurting others.
Jerks like that disgust everyone.

24 of 30, perseverance

10  If you let hope fade when life gets tough,
Your strength will fade, too.

25 of 30, rescuing

11  It’s your job to rescue people about to get killed.
Save them as they stumble to their deaths.
12  Let’s say you excuse yourself afterward by saying,
“Well, my oh my, I didn’t realize what was happening.”
The one who knows you from the inside out sees what’s going on. Right?
He watches everything you do, so he knows the truth. Right?
Won’t he give everyone exactly what they deserve?

26 of 30, wisdom

13  Kids, dig in to that honey. It’s great.
A dripping honeycomb is messy, but it sure is sweet.
14  Wisdom has a sweetness about it, too.
Bite into it and you’ll live.
It’ll give you hope for a future.

27 of 30, comebacks

15  Don’t target good people, like a crook would do.
Don’t attack their families.
16  Good people might get knocked down seven times, but they always get back up.
When bad folks fall, they’re down for good.

28 of 30, enemies

17  Don’t celebrate when your enemies lose.
Don’t throw a party when they fall.
18  Otherwise, the LORD will see it and he won’t be happy.
And his anger toward your enemies will disappear.

29 of 30, wicked

19  Don’t worry about those bad folks you’re seeing.
And certainly, don’t envy their success.
20  Bad folks have no future.
They’re going to get their lights put out.

30 of 30, agitators

21  My children, show respect to the LORD and your leaders.
Stay away from people who don’t.
22  They’re in for sudden trouble.
Who knows what the LORD or the leaders will do to them?

More sensible advice

23  Here’s more wise advice from sages.
Don’t play favorites when you’re supposed to make a fair judgment call.
24  If you tell bad people, “You’re good,”
Folks everywhere will cuss you out and hate you for it.
25  But if you condemn bad behavior, good for you.
You’ll get happy rewards for that.
26  When you say the right thing at the right time,
It’s as good as a kiss.
27  Make plans before you tackle something big, like building a house.
Lay the groundwork.[1]
Then build the house.
28  Don’t testify against someone if they didn’t do anything wrong.
Don’t lie.
29  Don’t say, “I’m going to do them like they did me.
I owe them a little something special.
And I’m going to make doggone sure they get it.”

Lessons from the lazy

30  I walked by the farmland of a lazy bum.
And I passed the vineyard of an idiot.
31  The land was consumed in thistles.
Weeds grew everywhere.
Stone walls around the fields were falling apart.
32  I thought about what I saw,
And I realized there was a lesson in it.
33  Sleep a little. Hit the Snooze.
Fold your hands on your tummy and rest a little longer.
34  Then poverty will attack you like a robber.
You’ll lose everything, as if armed intruders stole it from you.