Proverb A Day, Proverb 24 [Prayer and Meditation]

Proverb 24 (NKJV)
Do Not Envy Evil Men

01 Do not be envious of evil men,
00 Nor desire to be with them;
02 For their heart devises violence,
00 And their lips talk of troublemaking.

03 Through wisdom a house is built,
00 And by understanding it is established;
04 By knowledge the rooms are filled
00 With all precious and pleasant riches.

05 A wise man is strong,
00 Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;
06 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war,
00 And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.

07 Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;
00 He does not open his mouth in the gate.

08 He who plots to do evil
00 Will be called a schemer.
09 The devising of foolishness is sin,
00 And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If you faint in the day of adversity,
00 Your strength is small.
11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
00 And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, "Surely we did not know this,"
00 Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?
00 He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
00 And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

13 My son, eat honey because it is good,
00 And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;
00 If you have found it, there is a prospect,
00 And your hope will not be cut off.

15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;
00 Do not plunder his resting place;
16 For a righteous man may fall seven times
00 And rise again,
00 But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
00 And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him,
00 And He turn away His wrath from him.

19 Do not fret because of evildoers,
00 Nor be envious of the wicked; 20 For there will be no prospect for the evil man;
00 The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21 My son, fear the LORD and the king;
00 Do not associate with those given to change; 22 For their calamity will rise suddenly,
00 And who knows the ruin those two can bring?

Further Sayings of the Wise
23 These things also belong to the wise:
00 It is not good to show partiality in judgment. 24 He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous,"
00 Him the people will curse;
00 Nations will abhor him.
25 But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
00 And a good blessing will come upon them.

26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.

27 Prepare your outside work,
00 Make it fit for yourself in the field;
00 And afterward build your house.

28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
00 For would you deceive with your lips?
29 Do not say, "I will do to him just as he has done to me;
00 I will render to the man according to his work."

30 I went by the field of the lazy man,
00 And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns;
00 Its surface was covered with nettles;
00 Its stone wall was broken down.
32 When I saw it, I considered it well;
00 I looked on it and received instruction:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
00 A little folding of the hands to rest; 34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler,
00 And your need like an armed man.

Another translation:

Proverbs, chapter 24

View all books of the Bible

CHAPTER 24

1^* Do not envy the wicked,

nor desire to be with them;^a

2For their hearts plot violence,

and their lips speak of foul play.

3By wisdom a house is built,

by understanding it is established;

4And by knowledge its rooms are filled

with every precious and pleasing possession.

5The wise are more powerful than the strong,

and the learned, than the mighty,^b

6For by strategy war is waged,

and victory depends on many counselors.^c

7^* Wise words are beyond fools’ reach,^d

in the assembly they do not open their mouth;

8As they calculate how to do evil,

people brand them troublemakers.

9The scheme of a fool gains no acceptance,

the scoffer is an abomination to the community.

10^* Did you fail in a day of adversity,

did your strength fall short?

11Did you fail to rescue those who were being dragged off to death,^*

those tottering, those near death,

12because you said, “We didn’t know about it”?

Surely, the Searcher of hearts knows

and will repay all according to their deeds.^e

13^* If you eat honey, my son, because it is good,

if pure honey is sweet to your taste,

14Such, you must know, is wisdom to your soul.

If you find it, you will have a future,

and your hope will not be cut off.^f

15^* Do not lie in wait at the abode of the just,

do not ravage their dwelling places;

16Though the just fall seven times, they rise again,

but the wicked stumble from only one mishap.

17^* Do not rejoice when your enemies fall,

and when they stumble, do not let your heart exult,

18Lest the LORD see it, be displeased with you,

and withdraw his wrath from your enemies.

19Do not be provoked at evildoers,

do not envy the wicked;

20For the evil have no future,

the lamp of the wicked will be put out.^g

21My son, fear the LORD and the king;

have nothing to do with those who hate them;

22For disaster will issue suddenly,

and calamity from them both, who knows when?

V. FURTHER SAYINGS OF THE WISE^*

23These also are Words of the Wise:

To show partiality in judgment is not good.^h

24Whoever says to the guilty party, “You are innocent,”

will be cursed by nations, scorned by peoples;

25But those who render just verdicts will fare well,

and on them will come the blessing of prosperity.

26An honest reply—

a kiss on the lips.^*

27Complete your outdoor tasks,

and arrange your work in the field;

afterward you can build your house.^*

28Do not testify falsely against your neighborⁱ

and so deceive with your lips.

29Do not say, “As they did to me, so will I do to them;^j

I will repay them according to their deeds.”^*

30^* I passed by the field of a sluggard,

by the vineyard of one with no sense;

31It was all overgrown with thistles;

its surface was covered with nettles,

and its stone wall broken down.

32As I gazed at it, I reflected;

I saw and learned a lesson:

33A little sleep, a little slumber,^k

a little folding of the arms to rest—

34Then poverty will come upon you like a robber,

and want like a brigand.

* [24:1–22] A new section (24:1–14)—on the fates of the wicked and foolish—begins with a warning not to take the foolish as role models. The same admonition is repeated in 23:17–18 and 24:19–20. In 24:1, the verb means “to be jealous, zealous; to emulate.” The motive stated in the other passages—the wicked have no future—is indirectly stated here.

* [24:7–9] The verses are unclear; most scholars take them as two or even three single sayings, but, taken singly, the verses are banal. They are best taken as a single statement. Just as vv. 3–6 described the advantages of wisdom, so vv. 7–9 describe the disadvantages of its opposite, folly: it alienates one from the community (v. 7), for fools become notorious (v. 8), dooming their plans and ostracizing themselves.

* [24:10–12] Excuses for not coming to the aid of one’s neighbor in serious trouble do not suffice before God, who sees through self-serving excuses.

* [24:11] Rescue…death: perhaps refers to the legal rescue of those unjustly condemned to death.

* [24:13–14] God’s word is sometimes said to be sweeter than honey, e.g., Ps 119:101–103. Cf. also Ps 19:11; Prv 16:24; Ez 3:3; Sir 24:19–22.

* [24:15–16] The just will overcome every misfortune that oppresses them. Seven times is an indefinite number.

* [24:17–18] The admonition is linked to the previous by the words “fall” and “stumble.” Premature public celebration of the downfall of enemies equivalently preempts the retribution that belongs to God.

* [24:23–34] A little collection between the thirty sayings of 22:17–24:22 and the Hezekiah collection in chaps. 25–29. Its title (v. 23) suggests that editors took it as an appendix. At this point, the Greek edition of Proverbs begins to arrange the later sections of the book in a different order than the Hebrew edition.

An editor has arranged originally separate sayings into two parallel groups.

	I.	II.
Conduct in court:	Judges (vv. 24–25)	Witnesses (v. 28)
Speaking, thinking:	Good speech (v. 26)	Bad speech (v. 29)
Wisdom in work:	Positive (v. 27)	Negative (vv. 30–34)

* [24:26] The kiss is a gesture of respect and affection. The greatest sign of affection and respect for another is to tell that person the truth.

* [24:27] House: can refer to both the building and the family (cf. 2 Sm 7). In the context established by the placement noted above under 24:23, the saying means that neglect of one’s field is a sign that one is not building the house properly. In an agricultural society especially, the concept of household includes fields for animals and crops. On the metaphorical level, one must lay a careful preparation before embarking on a great project. This verse is sometimes interpreted as advocating careful and practical preparation for marriage.

* [24:29] Retribution is a long and complex process that belongs to the Lord, not to individuals. Cf. vv. 12d, 17–18.

* [24:30–34] Neglect of one’s fields through laziness ruins all plans to build a house (v. 27). This vignette is a teaching story, like those in 7:1–27; Ps 37:35–36.

a. [24:1] Prv 3:31; 23:17; Ps 37:1.

b. [24:5] Prv 21:22.

c. [24:6] Prv 20:18.

d. [24:7] Sir 6:21.

e. [24:12] Ps 62:13; Sir 16:12; Mt 16:27; Rom 2:6.

f. [24:14] Prv 23:18.

g. [24:20] Prv 13:9.

h. [24:23] Prv 18:5; 28:21; Lv 19:15; Dt 1:17; 16:19.

i. [24:28] Prv 19:5; 25:18.

j. [24:29] Prv 20:22.

k. [24:33] Prv 6:10–11.

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