Proverbs 24
1 Do not envy evil people; do not desire to associate with them,
Do not be envious of those who are evil, nor desire to associate with them,
2 because they are [constantly] thinking about acting violently, and whenever they speak [MTY], they talk about (causing trouble/hurting someone).
because their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about trouble.
3 People make good houses (OR, families) by doing what is wise, and they make their houses (OR, families) strong by [heeding] good advice.
Through wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established.
4 By using good sense, [they are able to buy] valuable and beautiful things and put them in the rooms of their houses.
By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5 Being wise is better than being strong/powerful; those who know [many things can accomplish more] than those who are [very] strong.
A warrior of wisdom is strong, and a man of knowledge increases his strength;
6 Leaders can fight battles if they have wise advisors, and they win those battles if they have many good advisors.
for by wise direction you can wage your war and with many advisors there is victory.
7 Foolish people cannot understand wise sayings/talk; at public meetings they are not [able to] say anything [that is useful].
Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth.
8 Those who are [always] planning to do evil things will be called troublemakers.
There is one who plans to do evil— people call him a master of schemes.
9 It is sinful to plan to do foolish things, and people hate those who make fun of [everything that is good].
A foolish plan is sin and men despise a mocker.
10 If you [act as though] you are helpless when you have troubles, you are [truly very] weak.
If you become weak with fear in the day of trouble, then your strength is small.
11 [If it is unjustly decided] that someone must be executed, [try hard to] rescue them [DOU].
Rescue those who are being taken away to death and hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “I did not know anything about it, [so (it is not my concern/I did not try to help him)],” remember that God knows what we have done, and he knows what we were thinking [IDM, RHQ], and he will certainly [RHQ] repay us as we deserve for what we have done or for not doing what we should have done.
If you say, “Behold, we knew nothing about this,” does not the one who weighs the heart understand what you are saying? The one who guards your life, does he not know it? Will God not give to each one what he deserves?
13 My child/son, eat honey, because it is good [for you]; the honey that drips from honeycombs tastes [very] sweet.
My son, eat honey because it is good, because the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
14 Similarly, being wise is good for your soul; if you become wise, you will be [happy in] the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do [LIT].
Such is wisdom for your soul— if you find it, there will be a future and your hope will not be cut off.
15 Do not be like wicked people who [hide and] wait to break into the houses of righteous/good [people] and rob/steal things.
Do not lie in wait like the wicked person who attacks the house of the righteous person. Do not destroy his home!
16 [Even if] good people fall down seven/many times, they [always] stand/get up again, but when a disaster happens to wicked [people], it ruins/destroys them.
For the righteous person falls down seven times and rises again, but wicked people are brought down by calamity.
17 Do not be happy when something bad happens to one of your enemies; do not rejoice when he stumbles and falls,
Do not celebrate when your enemy falls and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 because Yahweh will know what you are thinking, and he will not like it, and [as a result] he will not punish that enemy of yours.
or Yahweh will see and disapprove and turn away his wrath from him.
19 Do not become angry/upset about those who do what is evil, and do not [SYN] envy them,
Do not worry because of evildoers, and do not envy wicked people,
20 because [nothing good] will happen to wicked people; they are [like] a lamp that will soon be extinguished [MET].
for the evil person has no future and the lamp of wicked people will go out.
21 My child/son, revere Yahweh and [also] honor the king, and do not associate with people who want to rebel against either of them,
Fear Yahweh, and fear the king, my son; do not associate with those who rebel against them,
22 because those people will suddenly experience disasters; and no one knows [RHQ] what great disasters that God or the king can cause to happen to them.
for suddenly their disaster will come and who knows the extent of the destruction that will come from both of them?
23 Here are more things that wise [people] have said: It is wrong for judges to decide matters unfairly [IDM].
These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging a case at law is not good.
24 If they say to people who are guilty, “You (are innocent/have not done something that is wrong),” [even] people in other nations will curse and despise them,
Whoever says to the wicked person, “You are a righteous person,” will be cursed by peoples and hated by nations.
25 but if judges say that guilty people must be punished, things will go well for those judges, and (they will receive blessings/God will bless them).
But those who discipline the wicked will have delight and gifts of goodness will come to them.
26 Those who answer others honestly show that they are truly their friends [IDM].
The one who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips.
27 First, do the work [that needs to be done] outside [your house], and prepare your fields, [and then plant things], and after you finish doing that, build your house.
Prepare your outdoor work, and make everything ready for yourself in the field; after that, build your house.
28 [In the courtroom] do not testify against someone when you have no reason to do that, and do not [try to] deceive [people] by what you say [MTY].
Do not bear witness against your neighbor without cause and do not deceive with your lips.
29 Do not say, “I will do to him what he did to me; I will pay him back for [the bad things that] he did to me.”
Do not say, “I will do to him what he has done to me; I will pay him back for what he has done.”
30 One day I walked by the vineyards of a lazy man, a man who did not have good sense.
I went by the field of a lazy man, past the vineyard of the man having no sense.
31 I was surprised to see that the fields were full of all kinds of thorny bushes, and the stone wall [around the garden] had (collapsed/fallen down).
Thorns had grown up everywhere, the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 When I saw that, I thought about it, and I learned this:
Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction.
33 [If you spend a lot of time] sleeping and napping and folding your hands while you rest,
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
34 [soon] you will become poor; [it will be as though] [PRS, SIM] a bandit who had a weapon in his hand [attacked you and stole all that you had].
and poverty comes marching upon you, and your needs like an armed soldier.
