Proverbs 24:28-34

28 Be thou not a witness without reasonable cause against thy neighbour; neither flatter thou any man with thy lips.

29 Say thou not, As he did to me, so I shall do to him, and I shall yield to each man after his work.

30 I passed by the field of a slow man, and by the vinery of a fond man; (I passed by a lazy man's field, and by a foolish person's vineyard;)

31 and lo! nettles had filled all, thorns had covered the higher part thereof, and the wall of stones without mortar was destroyed.

32 And when I had seen this thing, I setted (it) in mine heart, and by ensample, I learned (the) teaching. (And when I had seen this, I put it in my heart, and by example, I learned the lesson.)

33 How long sleepest thou, slow man? when shalt thou rise from sleep? Soothly thou shalt sleep a little, thou shalt nap a little, thou shalt join together the hands a little, to take rest; (How long sleepest thou, O lazy man? when shalt thou rise from sleep? Truly thou shalt sleep a little, thou shalt nap a little, and then thou shalt join together thy hands a little, and take rest again;)

34 and then thy neediness as a courier shall come to thee, and thy beggary as an armed man.

Proverbs 24:28-34 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 12

This chapter relates Rehoboam's going to Shechem to be made king, and Jeroboam's return from Egypt, 1Ki 12:1,2, the people's request to Rehoboam to be eased of their taxes, as the condition of making him king, 1Ki 12:3,4, his answer to them, after three days, having had the advice both of the old and young men, which latter he followed, and gave in a rough answer, 1Ki 12:5-15, upon which ten tribes revolted from him, and two abode by him, 1Ki 12:16-20, wherefore he meditated a war against the ten tribes, but was forbid by the Lord to engage in it, 1Ki 12:21-24 and Jeroboam, in order to establish his kingdom, and preserve the people from a revolt to the house of David, because of the temple worship at Jerusalem, devised a scheme of idolatrous worship in his own territories, 1Ki 12:25-33.