Proverbs 24; Proverbs 25; Proverbs 26

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Proverbs 24

1 Don't envy evil people or try to be friends with them.

2 Their minds are always planning violence, and they always talk about making trouble.

3 It takes wisdom to have a good family, and it takes understanding to make it strong.

4 It takes knowledge to fill a home with rare and beautiful treasures.

5 Wise people have great power, and those with knowledge have great strength.

6 So you need advice when you go to war. If you have lots of good advice, you will win.

7 Foolish people cannot understand wisdom. They have nothing to say in a discussion.

8 Whoever makes evil plans will be known as a troublemaker.

9 Making foolish plans is sinful, and making fun of wisdom is hateful.

10 If you give up when trouble comes, it shows that you are weak.

11 Save those who are being led to their death; rescue those who are about to be killed.

12 If you say, "We don't know anything about this," God, who knows what's in your mind, will notice. He is watching you, and he will know. He will reward each person for what he has done.

13 My child, eat honey because it is good. Honey from the honeycomb tastes sweet.

14 In the same way, wisdom is pleasing to you. If you find it, you have hope for the future, and your wishes will come true.

15 Don't be wicked and attack a good family's house; don't rob the place where they live.

16 Even though good people may be bothered by trouble seven times, they are never defeated, but the wicked are overwhelmed by trouble.

17 Don't be happy when your enemy is defeated; don't be glad when he is overwhelmed.

18 The Lord will notice and be displeased. He may not be angry with them anymore.

19 Don't envy evil people, and don't be jealous of the wicked.

20 An evil person has nothing to hope for; the wicked will die like a flame that is put out.

21 My child, respect the Lord and the king. Don't join those people who refuse to obey them.

22 The Lord and the king will quickly destroy such people. Those two can cause great disaster!

23 These are also sayings of the wise: It is not good to take sides when you are the judge.

24 Don't tell the wicked that they are innocent; people will curse you, and nations will hate you.

25 But things will go well if you punish the guilty, and you will receive rich blessings.

26 An honest answer is as pleasing as a kiss on the lips.

27 First, finish your outside work and prepare your fields. After that, you can build your house.

28 Don't testify against your neighbor for no good reason. Don't say things that are false.

29 Don't say, "I'll get even; I'll do to him what he did to me."

30 I passed by a lazy person's field and by the vineyard of someone with no sense.

31 Thorns had grown up everywhere. The ground was covered with weeds, and the stone walls had fallen down.

32 I thought about what I had seen; I learned this lesson from what I saw.

33 You sleep a little; you take a nap. You fold your hands and lie down to rest.

34 Soon you will be as poor as if you had been robbed; you will have as little as if you had been held up.

Proverbs 25

1 These are more wise sayings of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah.

2 God is honored for what he keeps secret. Kings are honored for what they can discover.

3 No one can measure the height of the skies or the depth of the earth. So also no one can understand the mind of a king.

4 Remove the scum from the silver, so the silver can be used by the silversmith.

5 Remove wicked people from the king's presence; then his government will be honest and last a long time.

6 Don't brag to the king and act as if you are great.

7 It is better for him to give you a higher position than to bring you down in front of the prince. Because of something you have seen,

8 do not quickly take someone to court. What will you do later when your neighbor proves you wrong?

9 If you have an argument with your neighbor, don't tell other people what was said.

10 Whoever hears it might shame you, and you might not ever be respected again.

11 The right word spoken at the right time is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl.

12 A wise warning to someone who will listen is as valuable as gold earrings or fine gold jewelry.

13 Trustworthy messengers refresh those who send them, like the coolness of snow in the summertime.

14 People who brag about gifts they never give are like clouds and wind that give no rain.

15 With patience you can convince a ruler, and a gentle word can get through to the hard-headed.

16 If you find honey, don't eat too much, or it will make you throw up.

17 Don't go to your neighbor's house too often; too much of you will make him hate you.

18 When you lie about your neighbors, it hurts them as much as a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.

19 Trusting unfaithful people when you are in trouble is like eating with a broken tooth or walking with a crippled foot.

20 Singing songs to someone who is sad is like taking away his coat on a cold day or pouring vinegar on soda.

21 If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink.

22 Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

23 As the north wind brings rain, telling gossip brings angry looks.

24 It is better to live in a corner on the roofn than inside the house with a quarreling wife.

25 Good news from a faraway place is like a cool drink when you are tired.

26 A good person who gives in to evil is like a muddy spring or a dirty well.

27 It is not good to eat too much honey, nor does it bring you honor to brag about yourself.

28 Those who do not control themselves are like a city whose walls are broken down.

Proverbs 26

1 It shouldn't snow in summer or rain at harvest. Neither should a foolish person ever be honored.

2 Curses will not harm someone who is innocent; they are like sparrows or swallows that fly around and never land.

3 Whips are for horses, and harnesses are for donkeys, so paddles are good for fools.

4 Don't give fools a foolish answer, or you will be just like them.

5 But answer fools as they should be answered, or they will think they are really wise.

6 Sending a message by a foolish person is like cutting off your feet or drinking poison.

7 A wise saying spoken by a fool is as useless as the legs of a crippled person.

8 Giving honor to a foolish person is like tying a stone in a slingshot.

9 A wise saying spoken by a fool is like a thorn stuck in the hand of a drunk.

10 Hiring a foolish person or anyone just passing by is like an archer shooting at just anything.

11 A fool who repeats his foolishness is like a dog that goes back to what it has thrown up.

12 There is more hope for a foolish person than for those who think they are wise.

13 The lazy person says, "There's a lion in the road! There's a lion in the streets!"

14 Like a door turning back and forth on its hinges, the lazy person turns over and over in bed.

15 Lazy people may put their hands in the dish, but they are too tired to lift the food to their mouths.

16 The lazy person thinks he is wiser than seven people who give sensible answers.

17 Interfering in someone else's quarrel as you pass by is like grabbing a dog by the ears.

18 Like a madman shooting deadly, burning arrows

19 is the one who tricks a neighbor and then says, "I was just joking."

20 Without wood, a fire will go out, and without gossip, quarreling will stop.

21 Just as charcoal and wood keep a fire going, a quarrelsome person keeps an argument going.

22 The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food; people like to gobble them up.

23 Kind words from a wicked mind are like a shiny coating on a clay pot.

24 Those who hate you may try to fool you with their words, but in their minds they are planning evil.

25 People's words may be kind, but don't believe them, because their minds are full of evil thoughts.

26 Lies can hide hate, but the evil will be plain to everyone.

27 Whoever digs a pit for others will fall into it. Whoever tries to roll a boulder down on others will be crushed by it.

28 Liars hate the people they hurt, and false praise can ruin others.