Proverbs 24 - Heartlight

¹Do not envy wicked men

or desire their company;

²for their hearts devise violence,

and their lips declare trouble.

³By wisdom a house is built

and by understanding it is established;

⁴through knowledge its rooms are filled

with every precious and beautiful treasure.

⁵A wise man is strong,

and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.

⁶Only with sound guidance should you wage war,

and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.

⁷Wisdom is too high for a fool;

he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.

⁸He who plots evil

will be called a schemer.

⁹A foolish scheme is sin,

and a mocker is detestable to men.

¹⁰If you faint in the day of distress,

how small is your strength!

¹¹Rescue those being led away to death,

and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.

¹²If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,”

does not He who weighs hearts consider it?

Does not the One who guards your life know?

Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?

¹³Eat honey, my son, for it is good,

and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.

¹⁴Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul.

If you find it, there is a future for you,

and your hope will never be cut off.

¹⁵Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous;

do not destroy his resting place.

¹⁶For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up;

but the wicked stumble in bad times.

¹⁷Do not gloat when your enemy falls,

and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,

¹⁸or the LORD will see and disapprove,

and turn His wrath away from him.

¹⁹Do not fret over evildoers,

and do not be envious of the wicked.

²⁰For the evil man has no future;

the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.

²¹My son, fear the LORD and the king,

and do not associate with the rebellious.

²²For they will bring sudden destruction.

Who knows what ruin they can bring?

²³These also are sayings of the wise:

To show partiality in judgment

is not good.

²⁴Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—

peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;

²⁵but it will go well with those who convict the guilty,

and rich blessing will come upon them.

²⁶An honest answer given

is like a kiss on the lips.

²⁷Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field;

after that, you may build your house.

²⁸Do not testify against your neighbor without cause,

and do not deceive with your lips.

²⁹Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;

I will repay the man according to his work.”

³⁰I went past the field of a slacker

and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.

³¹Thorns had grown up everywhere,

thistles had covered the ground,

and the stone wall was broken down.

³²I observed and took it to heart;

I looked and received instruction:

³³A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest,

³⁴and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

and need like a bandit.

— Proverbs 24

(BSB)

Related Resources from Heartlight

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By wisdom a house is built, and through...

Illustration of Proverbs 24:3-4

Illustration of Proverbs 24:3-4 -- By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

An honest answer is like a kiss on the...

Illustration of Proverbs 24:26

Illustration of Proverbs 24:26 -- An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

By wisdom a house is built, and through...

Illustration of Proverbs 24:3

Illustration of Proverbs 24:3 -- By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

Know also that wisdom is sweet to your...

Illustration of Proverbs 24:14

Illustration of Proverbs 24:14 -- Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

Cross References for Proverbs 24

Cross References Provided by Open Bible

The Berean Standard Bible

The Berean Standard Bible (BSB) is a modern, clear, and faithful translation based on the best available Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. Ideal for reading, study, and sharing, it entered the public domain in 2023. For more information, visit berean.bible.