Proverbs 24  New American Standard Bible

^3 (E)By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
⁴ And by knowledge the rooms are ^(F)filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.

⁵ A ^(G)wise man is ^[b]strong,
And a person of knowledge ^[c]increases power.
⁶ For ^(H)by wise guidance you will ^[d]wage war,
And ^(I)in an abundance of counselors there is victory.

⁷ Wisdom is ^(J)too exalted for a fool,
He does not open his mouth ^(K)at the gate.

⁸ One who ^(L)plans to do evil,
People will call a ^[e]schemer.
⁹ The ^(M)devising of foolishness is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to humanity.

¹⁰ If you ^(N)show yourself lacking courage on the day of distress,
Your strength is meager.

^11 (O)Rescue those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to the slaughter, Oh hold them back!
¹² If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He ^(P)who weighs the hearts not ^(Q)consider it?
And ^(R)does He who ^(S)watches over your soul not know it?
And will He not ^[f](T)repay a person according to his work?

¹³ My son, eat ^(U)honey, for it is good;
Yes, the ^(V)honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
¹⁴ Know that ^(W)wisdom is the same for your soul;
If you find it, then there will be a ^[g](X)future,
And your hope will not be cut off.

^15 (Y)Do not lie in ambush, you wicked person, against the home of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
¹⁶ For a ^(Z)righteous person falls seven times and rises again,
But the ^(AA)wicked stumble in time of disaster.

^17 (AB)Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
¹⁸ Otherwise, the Lord will see and ^[h]be displeased,
And turn His anger away from him.

^19 (AC)Do not get upset because of evildoers
Or be ^(AD)envious of the wicked;
²⁰ For ^(AE)there will be no ^[i](AF)future for the evil person;
The ^(AG)lamp of the wicked will be put out.

²¹ My son, ^[j](AH)fear the Lord and the king;
Do not get involved with those ^[k]of high rank,
²² For their ^(AI)disaster will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin that can come from both of them?

²³ These also are ^(AJ)sayings of the wise:
To ^[l](AK)show partiality in judgment is not good.
²⁴ One ^(AL)who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
^(AM)Peoples will curse him, nations will scold him;
²⁵ But ^(AN)for those who rebuke the wicked there will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
²⁶ One who gives ^[m]a right answer
Kisses the lips.

²⁷ Prepare your work outside,
And ^(AO)make it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterward, then, build your house.

²⁸ Do not be a ^(AP)witness against your neighbor for no reason,
And ^(AQ)do not deceive with your lips.
^29 (AR)Do not say, “I shall do the same to him as he has done to me;
I will ^[n]repay the person according to his work.”

³⁰ I passed by the field of ^[o]a lazy one,
And by the vineyard of a person ^(AS)lacking ^[p]sense,
³¹ And behold, it was completely ^(AT)overgrown with weeds;
Its surface was covered with ^(AU)weeds,
And its stone ^(AV)wall was broken down.
³² When I saw, I ^[q]reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
³³ “^(AW)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
³⁴ Then your poverty will come like ^[r]a drifter,
And your need like ^[s]an armed man.