Proverbs 24 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 24 ▼
swipe to see more →
JPS
JPS Tanakh 1917
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 Be not thou envious of evil men, Neither desire to be with them. Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company;
2 For their heart studieth destruction, And their lips talk of mischief. for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.
3 Through wisdom is a house builded; And by understanding it is established; By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
4 And by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and pleasant riches. by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
5 A wise man is strong; Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
6 For with wise advice thou shalt make thy war; And in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers.
7 Wisdom is as unattainable to a fool as corals; He openeth not his mouth in the gate. Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth. Wisdom is too high for fools; in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.
8 He that deviseth to do evil, Men shall call him a mischievous person. Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. Whoever plots evil will be known as a schemer.
9 The thought of foolishness is sin; And the scorner is an abomination to men. The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. The schemes of folly are sin, and people detest a mocker.
10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, Thy strength is small indeed. If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!
11 Deliver them that are drawn unto death; And those that are ready to be slain wilt thou forbear to rescue? Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
12 If thou sayest: 'Behold, we knew not this', Doth not He that weigheth the hearts consider it? And He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? And shall not He render to every man according to his works? If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?
13 My son, eat thou honey, for it is good, And the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste; My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
14 So know thou wisdom to be unto thy soul; If thou hast found it, then shall there be a future, And thy hope shall not be cut off. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
15 Lie not in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous, Spoil not his resting-place; Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous, do not plunder their dwelling place;
16 For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again, But the wicked stumble under adversity. for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth; Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him. lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them.
19 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, Neither be thou envious at the wicked; Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked,
20 For there will be no future to the evil man, The lamp of the wicked shall be put out. for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king, And meddle not with them that are given to change; My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with rebellious officials,
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; And who knoweth the ruin from them both? for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both? for those two will send sudden destruction on them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?
23 These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good. These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good. These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good:
24 He that saith unto the wicked: 'Thou art righteous', Peoples shall curse him, nations shall execrate him; Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
25 But to them that decide justly shall be delight, And a good blessing shall come upon them. but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come on them.
26 He kisseth the lips That giveth a right answer. Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips. An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
27 Prepare thy work without, And make it fit for thyself in the field; And afterwards build thy house. Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house. Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; And deceive not with thy lips. Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. Do not testify against your neighbor without cause— would you use your lips to mislead?
29 Say not: 'I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.' Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.” Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.”
30 I went by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thistles, The face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down. and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep'-- A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
34 So shall thy poverty come as a runner, And thy want as an armed man. and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page