Do Not Envy Saying 20 1 UDB Do not want what evil people have; do not desire them for friends, BSB BSB: Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
2 UDB because they are plotting to do violence; they talk about making trouble. BSB BSB: for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
Saying 21 3 UDB It takes wisdom to build a house, and by understanding the builder exercises his craft, and a house is made solid on its foundation. BSB BSB: By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
4 UDB It takes knowledge to fill the rooms of the house with all the beautiful and expensive decorations. BSB BSB: through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
Saying 22 5 UDB A man who has wisdom has strength, and a person with knowledge is mightier than the one who is strong, BSB BSB: A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
6 UDB for with wise guidance you can wage a war successfully, and by the advice of many advisors there will be victory. BSB BSB: Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
Saying 23 7 UDB Wisdom is something that a fool cannot understand; at the gate where the elders gather, the fool has nothing to say. BSB BSB: Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
Saying 24 8 UDB There is a man who does evil and makes plots—he is called the Master of Schemes. BSB BSB: He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
9 UDB A foolish plan is not only folly, it is sin; when people tell the truth, they hate those who are conceited and mock everyone. BSB BSB: A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
Saying 25 10 UDB When trouble comes and you are terrified like a coward, then your strength is small. BSB BSB: If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
11 UDB Rescue the ones who are being carried away to the slaughter; they stagger and fall—hold them back from the one who would kill them. BSB BSB: Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
12 UDB If you say, "I did not know that those people needed any help," then think about this: God knows why we do everything, so he also knows why you said those people needed no help. God sees everything you do in this life, so he certainly understands why you said that about those people. He will certainly pay you back—and everyone else, too—for the harm you have done. BSB BSB: If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?
Saying 26 13 UDB My son, eat honey because it tastes good; the honeycomb is sweet. BSB BSB: Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
14 UDB Wisdom is like the honeycomb; it feeds your life, if you can find it. If you can find it, you will have a future, and you will come to the future with hope that will not be cut short. BSB BSB: Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future for you, and your hope will never be cut off.
Saying 27 15 UDB Do not be like wicked people who hide and wait to attack the home of those who do what is right. Do not commit a violent attack on the place where the good man rests! BSB BSB: Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.
16 UDB Even if good people fall down seven times, they always get back up, but when a disaster comes to wicked people, they are ruined by it. BSB BSB: For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
Saying 28 17 UDB When your enemy falls, do not rejoice, and do not be happy when he stumbles, BSB BSB: Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
18 UDB for Yahweh will see how you treat your enemy, and if he disapproves how you treat him, Yahweh may turn his wrath from your enemy and put it on you. BSB BSB: or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
Saying 29 19 UDB Do not worry about those who do what is evil, and do not be jealous of them, BSB BSB: Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
20 UDB for there is no future for wicked people; they are like a lamp whose light will soon be put out. BSB BSB: For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
Saying 30 21 UDB My son, give to Yahweh and give to the king the respect each of them deserves, and do not associate with anyone who rebels against either Yahweh or the king BSB BSB: My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
22 UDB because disasters will suddenly come upon those rebels, and no one knows how terrible the disasters will be that will come from both Yahweh and from the king. BSB BSB: For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
Further Sayings of the Wise 23 UDB Here are more things that wise people have said: It is wrong for judges to decide matters unfairly. BSB BSB: These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 UDB If they say to people who are guilty, "You are innocent," they will be cursed by foreign peoples and hated by nations. BSB BSB: Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
25 UDB But if judges say that guilty people must be punished, things will go well for those judges and they will receive gifts of goodness. BSB BSB: but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
26 UDB Answering honestly—that is the best thing a person can do. BSB BSB: An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
27 UDB First, do the work that needs to be done outside and prepare your fields, and after that build your house. BSB BSB: Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
28 UDB Do not give testimony against your neighbor if there is no reason for it, and do not deceive people when you are telling what you know. BSB BSB: Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
29 UDB Do not say, "I will do to him what he did to me; I will pay him back for what he did to me." BSB BSB: Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
30 UDB I walked by the field of a lazy man, past the vineyard of a man who had no good judgment. BSB BSB: I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.
31 UDB Thorns grew there and the stone wall had fallen down. BSB BSB: Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.
32 UDB When I saw that, I thought about it, and I learned this: BSB BSB: I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
33 UDB A little sleep, a little nap, a little folding of the hands to rest—and while you rest, BSB BSB: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
34 UDB poverty will come to you like a thief who steals from you, and poverty will come like an armed soldier who attacks you. BSB BSB: and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.