The CleanSlate Bible

34 verses

Proverbs Chapter 24

¹Don't be envious of evil men,
nor desire to be with them;
²for their hearts plot violence
and their lips talk about mischief.
³A house is built by wisdom,
and by understanding it is established;
⁴by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all rare and beautiful treasure.
⁵A wise man is strong,
and a knowledgeable man strengthens power;
⁶for by wise guidance you wage your war,
and victory is in many advisors.
⁷Wisdom is [too] high for a fool;
he doesn't open his mouth in the gate.
⁸One who plans to do evil
will be called a plot master.
⁹The schemes of folly are sin.
The mocker is detested by men.
¹⁰If you falter in the time of trouble,
your strength is small.
¹¹Rescue those who are being led away to death!
Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!
¹²If you say, "Look, we didn't know this,"
He who weighs the hearts discerns it.
He who keeps your soul, he knows it.
He repays every man according to his work.
¹³My son, eat honey, for it is good,
the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;
¹⁴therefore know that wisdom [is sweet] to your soul.
If you have found it, then there will be a reward;
and your hope will not be cut off.
¹⁵Don't lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous,
don't destroy his resting place;
¹⁶for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again,
but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
¹⁷Don't rejoice when your enemy falls;
and don't let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,
¹⁸otherwise Yahweh will see it, and [it is] evil in his eyes,
and he turns his anger away from him.
¹⁹Don't fret because of evildoers,
nor be envious of the wicked;
²⁰for there will be no reward for the evil man;
the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
²¹My son, fear Yahweh and the king.
Don't join those who are rebellious,

²²for their calamity will rise suddenly;
who knows what destruction may come from them both? ²³These also are sayings of the wise.
To show partiality in judgment is not good.
²⁴He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous",
peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him;
²⁵but it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and a rich blessing will come on them.
²⁶An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips.
²⁷Prepare your work outside,
and get your fields ready.
Afterwards, build your house.
²⁸Don't be a witness against your neighbor without cause.
Don't deceive with your lips.
²⁹Don't say, "I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will repay the man according to his work."
³⁰I went by the field of the sluggard,
by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
³¹look, it's all overgrown with thorns.
Its surface was covered with nettles,
and its stone wall was broken down.
³²Then I saw, and considered well.
I saw, and received instruction:
³³a little sleep, a little dozing,
a little folding of the hands to sleep;
³⁴so your poverty will come as a robber
and your needs as an armed man.