PROVERBS 24


1 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. 

Envy thou not the oppressor,

And choose none of his ways (3: 31)

Let not thine heart envy sinners:

But be thou in the fear of Yahweh all the day long (23: 17)

This is real, purposeful and noble life!

The prosperous sinner comes to an ignominious and final end but for the wise ...

thine expectation shall not be cut off (23:18).




2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

3 Through wisdom [chochmah] is an house [bais] builded; and by understanding [tevunah] it is established:

4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;

12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart 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?

13 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.


17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

18 Lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

19 Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

21 My son, fear thou Yahweh and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

26 Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.


27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

A wise builder does not simply order truckloads of various materials to be dumped upon a site, and then begin haphazard construction, hoping that he has the right materials and in sufficient quantities. He carefully draws up specifications, and thoroughly checks them, well in advance of the commencement of any activity on the building site.

It is prudent to make sound preparation. A spiritual "house" must be built according to these principles - and the building of such a "house" involves preparation for the warfare of faith.

Paul posed a penetrating question to the Corinthians, at a time when they were plagued by many doubts and fears, and when, in many respects, they lacked sound and virile leadership:

"If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8). Quite so.

When the warfare is finally over, and all the redeemed have been rewarded with the gift of immortality, such an end will have been achieved because the Lamb's "wife" will have "made herself ready. . ." (Rev. 19:7) - a word which has elsewhere been rendered as "prepare" (cp. Luke 22:8, 9, etc.). *

Bro John Ullman - Joshua His Life and Times.



28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

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.

30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

34 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.