Proverbs 24:4-30

⁴Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.

⁵If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,

⁶for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.

⁷Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.

⁸Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.

⁹Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.

¹⁰If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.

¹¹Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.

¹²If you say, “Look, we didn't know anything about this,” don't you think the God who judges your motives will see what's happening? He who watches over you knows, and he will pay people back for what they've done.

¹³My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.

¹⁴In the same way, you should know that wisdom is good for you; if you find it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.

¹⁵Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.

¹⁶Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.

¹⁷Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,

¹⁸otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.

¹⁹Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,

²⁰for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

²¹My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,

²²for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?

²³These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.

²⁴Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,

²⁵while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.

²⁶An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.

²⁷Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.

²⁸Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.

²⁹Don't say to yourself, “I'm going to do to him what he did to me! I'll pay him back for what he's done!”

³⁰I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.