Proverbs 24 (New International Version)
Proverbs 24
1 Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company;
2 for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.
3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
5 A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength;
6 for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.
8 He who plots evil will be known as a schemer.
9 The schemes of folly are sin, and men detest a mocker.
10 If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!
11 Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
12 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 each person according to what he has done?
13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
14 Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
15 Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house, do not raid his dwelling place;
16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
18 or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.
19 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of the wicked,
20 for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21 Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious,
22 for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring? Further Sayings of the Wise
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good:
24 Whoever says to the guilty, "You are innocent"— peoples will curse him and nations denounce him.
25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
27 Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.
28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, or use your lips to deceive.
29 Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did."
30 I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;
31 thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-
34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. [a
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6 comments:
Several of the verses in this chapter speak to me but vs. 10 talks about failing under pressure. Life is and will continually be filled with pressure, trials, tribulations, disappointments, heartache, etc. but we cannot give up on the word. At times we feel as though our strength will fail us but when we are weak then are we made strong. No matter how hard the battle DON'T give up. My grandmother would often say "keep on keeping on"!!
Verses 32-34 spoke to me. And because, like Mrs. Debbie said, there will continually be pressure, trials, ect. and after going through those, it makes you want to "put down your sword" and rest. We do need rest, but we have to be careful and make sure we are resting in the Lord and that we never "put down our sword" because that is when Satan will attack. The minute we let up will be the minute that complacency tries to slip in!
I don't know what happeneed to what I wrote for this chapter. I must have hit enter and posted earlier than I thought. It doesn't matter because Debbie said it better anyway! Thanks Debbie!
Like Debbie, verse 10 spoke to me. As a young child, my grandmother was someone who gave me great advise and instruction. She took care of me and loved me unconditionally. I can remember as a small child looking up at her lovingly and proclaiming with all of my heart that when she was old, I would take care of her. Now that time has come. My mother and I are responsible for every aspect of my grandmother's life. It is trying, frustrating, tiring, and yet, rewarding. There have been many times over the past two years where I wanted to lay down and say, "Lord, I quit." This verse spoke to me and made me realize that I need to finish strong. I can do so by relying on God. If I give up when things get tough, it will be a testiment to my faith. I know that my faith is stronger than that!
12 Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” (NLV)
We cannot claim ignorance when it comes to the things of God. He has given us every opportunity to know Him and to know His commandments. We have His Word, which reveals His character. We also have unlimited access to His throne (because of His sacrifice). So we also have a way to spend time with Him and draw closer to Him.
We are responsible for the all of the knowledge that He has made available to us. He expects us to study and to spend time with Him. He expects us to be committed to drawing closer to Him each day.
"I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead." Philippians 3:10.
May we never become complacent or satisfied with our relationship with God. He is calling us to go deeper!
I like what you wrote Ann. We have no excuse for how we live our life. We can never say "we did not know." God's word has ALL of lifes instructions. We just have to read and DO it. It is not a big secret on how to live a prosperous and joyful life!
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