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24 Don’t envy evil people
    or ·try to be friends [L long to be] with them.
Their ·minds [L hearts] are ·always planning [focused/fixated on] violence,
    and ·they always [L their lips] talk about making trouble [Ps. 37; 73].

·It takes wisdom to have a good family [L By wisdom a house is built],
    and ·it takes understanding to make it strong [L by understanding it is established].
·It takes knowledge to fill a home [L By knowledge rooms are filled]
    with rare and beautiful treasures [31:10–31].

Wise people ·have great power [or are mightier than strong people],
    and those with knowledge ·have [or than those with] great strength.
So you need ·advice [guidance] when you go to war.
    If you have lots of ·good advice [counselors], you will win.

Foolish people cannot understand wisdom.
They ·have nothing to say [L do not open their mouth] in ·a discussion [L the gate; C where the elders make decisions].

Whoever makes evil plans
    will be ·known as [called] a ·troublemaker [master schemer].
·Making foolish plans [Scheming] is sinful,
    and ·making fun of wisdom is hateful [or people despise mockers].

10 If you ·give up [show yourself weak] ·when trouble comes [L on the day of distress/trouble],
it shows that ·you are weak [L your strength is small].

11 ·Save [Rescue; T Deliver] those who are being led to their death;
    ·rescue [L don’t restrain yourself from] those who ·are about [L tottering off] to be killed.
12 If you say, “We don’t know anything about this,”
    God, who ·knows what’s in your mind [evaluates motives; L weighs hearts], ·will notice [L doesn’t he know?].
He ·is watching you [protects/guards your life], and he will know.
    He will reward each person for what he has done.

13 My ·child [L son], eat honey because it is good.
    Honey from the honeycomb ·tastes sweet [L is sweet on your palate].
14 In the same way, wisdom is pleasing to ·you [your soul].
    If you find it, you have ·hope for the [L a] future,
and your ·wishes [hope] will ·come true [L not be cut off].

15 Don’t be wicked and ·attack [ambush; lie in wait at] a ·good [righteous] family’s house;
    don’t ·rob [or destroy] the place where they live.
16 Even though ·good [righteous] people may ·be bothered by trouble [L fall] seven times, they ·are never defeated [L get back up],
    but the wicked ·are overwhelmed by [stumble into] trouble.

17 Don’t ·be happy [rejoice] when your enemy ·is defeated [L falls];
    don’t let your heart be glad when he ·is overwhelmed [L stumbles].
18 The Lord will notice and ·be displeased [L it will be bad in his eyes].
    He may ·not be angry with them anymore [L turn his anger from them; Job 31:29; Ps. 35:15–16; Rom. 12:17–21].

19 Don’t ·envy [get mad at] evil people,
    and don’t be jealous of the wicked.
20 An evil person has ·nothing to hope for [L no future];
    the lamp of the wicked will be ·put out [extinguished].

21 My ·child [L son], ·respect [fear] the Lord and the king.
    Don’t join those people who ·refuse to obey them [rebel].
22 ·The Lord and the king [L They] will quickly destroy such people.
    ·Those two can cause great disaster! [L Who knows the disaster that both can bring?]

More Words of Wisdom

23 These are also ·sayings of [L according to] the wise [22:17]:
It is not good to ·take sides when you are the judge [show partiality/favoritism in judgment].
24 ·Don’t tell [L Those who say to] the wicked ·that they [L “You…”] are ·innocent [righteous];
    people will curse you, and nations will ·hate [despise] you.
25 But things will go well if you ·punish [correct; rebuke] 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 [execute/establish your affairs in public]
    and prepare your fields.
After that, you can build your house.

28 Don’t ·testify [witness] against your neighbor for no good reason.
    Don’t ·say things that are false [L deceive with your lips].
29 Don’t say, “·I’ll get even [L As they did to me so I will do to them];
    I’ll ·do to him what he did to me [repay them according to their actions].”

30 I ·passed by [happened upon] a lazy person’s field
    and by the vineyard of someone ·with no sense [L who lacks heart/sense].
31 Thorns had grown up everywhere.
    The ground was covered with weeds,
    and the stone walls had fallen down.
32 I ·thought about [took to heart] what I had seen;
    I learned this lesson from what I saw.
33 ·You sleep a little; you take a nap [“A little sleep, a little slumber”].
    ·You fold your hands and [L “A little folding of the arms to…”] lie down to rest [6:10].
34 So ·you will be as poor as if you had been robbed [L poverty will come on you like a robber];
    ·you will have as little as if you had been held up [L deprivation (will come on you) like a shielded warrior].

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