Proverbs 24

19 of 30, sinners

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

20 of 30, homebuilding

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

21 of 30, strength

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

22 of 30, wisdom

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

23 of 30, jerks

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

24 of 30, perseverance

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

25 of 30, rescuing

11It’s your job to rescue people about to get killed.
Save them as they stumble to their deaths.
12Let’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

13Kids, dig in to that honey. It’s great.
A dripping honeycomb is messy, but it sure is sweet.
14Wisdom 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

15Don’t target good people, like a crook would do.
Don’t attack their families.
16Good 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

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

29 of 30, wicked

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

30 of 30, agitators

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

More sensible advice

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

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