✝
← Bible
ARCBLIVREKJVVBL

Proverbios 24

VBL · Chapter 24/31

1No tengas envidia de los malvados, ni desees su compañía,

2porque ellos conspiran planes crueles y discuten entre ellos para causar tribulación.

3Una casa se construye con sabiduría. Su fundamento seguro es la inteligencia.

4Sus habitaciones están llenas de conocimiento, con todo tipo de hermosos y valiosos objetos.

5Si tienes sabiduría, serás fuerte. Si tienes inteligencia, tu poder aumentará.

6Porque con la guía correcta, podrás ir a la guerra, y serás victorioso si tienes muchos buenos consejeros.

7La sabiduría examina las mentes de los tontos. Ellos no tienen nada que aportar en las discusiones sobre los asuntos importantes.

8Todo aquel que hace planes para hacer el mal, será considerado un problemático.

9Los planes que hacen los tontos son de pecado. Todos aborrecen a los que se burlan de otros.

10Si te rindes en el momento de la prueba, mostraras cuan débil eres.

11Rescata a los que son expulsados para ser ejecutados. Salva a los que desfallecen de camino a su muerte.

12Si dices: “No sabíamos nada sobre esto”, ¿no crees que el Dios que juzga las motivaciones no se dará cuenta de lo que ocurre realmente? El que te mira desde arriba lo sabe todo, y le pagará a todos según sus actos.

13Hijo mío, comer miel te conviene; el panal de miel tiene un dulce sabor.

14Del mismo modo, debes saber que te conviene la sabiduría; y que sin la encuentras habrá un futuro para ti que no será frustrado.

15No seas como el criminal que espera para entrar por sorpresa en las casas de las buenas personas. No ataques el lugar donde viven.

16Los que hacen el bien podrán caer siete veces, y aun así se levantaran; pero el desastre vendrá para derribar a los malvados.

17No celebres cuando tu enemigo caiga. No te alegues cuando se tropiece,

18porque puede que cuando el Señor lo note, se desagrade de ti y no lo castigue como lo había pensado.

19No te enojes por causa de los malvados, ni sientas celos por los que hacen el mal,

20porque los malvados no tienen futuro. La lámpara de los malvados se apagará.

21Hijo mío, honra al Señor y al rey, y no te juntes con los rebeldes,

22porque el desastre vendrá sobre ellos repentinamente. ¿Quién podrá saber cómo los castigarán el Señor y el rey?

23Estos son más dichos del sabio: Mostrar preferencias cuando emites un juicio no es bueno.

24Los que le dicen al culpable: “Eres inocente”, serán malditos por el pueblo y odiados por la nación,

25pero los que condenan al culpable serán estimados, y recibirán rica bendición.

26Una respuesta honesta es como un beso en los labios.

27Haz primero el trabajo que necesitas hacer afuera y prepárate para sembrar tus campos. Solo después de eso, comienza a construir tu casa.

28No seas testigo contra tu prójimo sin tener una buena razón, ni digas mentiras.

29No digas en tu pensamiento: “Voy a hacerle lo mismo que me hizo! ¡Haré que me pague por lo que ha hecho!”

30Mientras caminaba, pasé por el campo del hombre perezoso, y por el viñedo de un insensato.

31Y estaba lleno de monte y espinas, el suelo estaba cubierto de hierba y la piedra angular se había caído.

32Y mientras veía, pensé y aprendí una lección:

33Puedes decir: “Solo dormiré un poco más, me recostaré apenas un rato, y cruzaré mis brazos para descansar un poco más”,

34pero la pobreza te atacará como un ladrón, y la miseria como un guerrero armado.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The chapter concludes "the words of the wise" with teachings on not envying the wicked, rescuing those unjustly led to death, and not repaying evil with evil. A final section pictures laziness through the image of a field left abandoned and overrun with thorns.

Explanation

The call to "deliver them that are drawn unto death" (verse 11) is understood by many commentators as a command to actively intervene in situations of injustice rather than remain passive by claiming ignorance — an ethical principle of direct social responsibility. The closing parable about the sluggard's field, overrun with thistles and its stone wall broken down (verses 30-34), is a scene the author claims to have observed personally, serving as a vivid, concrete lesson on the visible, physical consequences of neglect over time. Application for today: small accumulated neglects, like the lack of regular upkeep, can turn into visible, costly problems if not corrected in time.

Fun facts

  • Verse 11, about rescuing "those that are ready to be slain," was historically applied by Jewish communities as an ethical basis for the obligation to ransom hostages and unjustly condemned prisoners, a principle called "pidyon shevuyim" in Judaism.
  • The description of the neglected field, with its "stone wall broken down" (verse 31), reflects the common agricultural architecture of stone terraces used in Israel to hold soil on mountainous terrain — upkeep that required constant attention to keep from collapsing.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Proverbios 24:1Advises against envying those who do evil, even if they seem to have the advantage — explicitly urges avoiding even their company.
  2. Proverbios 24:2Explains the reason for the previous advice: whoever acts this way has a heart turned toward violence and a mouth full of wickedness — that isn’t company that brings any good.
  3. Proverbios 24:3Notes that wisdom and understanding are the foundation for building and establishing a family — it isn’t just about abstract knowledge, it’s about the practical stability of the home.
  4. Proverbios 24:4Continues the previous idea: knowledge is what fills the house with valuable things — a way of saying real prosperity is born from well-considered decisions.
  5. Proverbios 24:5Notes that wisdom gives more strength than physical force alone — knowledge is treated as a kind of power just as real as brute strength.
  6. Proverbios 24:6Repeats the theme already seen in chapter 20: a successful war depends on good counsel, and having several advisers increases the chances of victory.
  7. Proverbios 24:7Notes that wisdom is beyond the fool’s reach — he can’t even take part in important discussions at the city gate, where community decisions were made.
  8. Proverbios 24:8Describes how reputation follows whoever plans evil on purpose — the person ends up being known precisely for that trait.
  9. Proverbios 24:9Notes that even the thought of doing something foolish is already considered sin, and that mocking behavior is especially rejected by people.
  10. Proverbios 24:10Notes that showing weakness right at the difficult moment reveals that the person’s strength was more apparent than real — a moment of crisis exposes someone’s true preparation.
  11. Proverbios 24:11Scholars read this verse two ways: a more literal interpretation, about rescuing people unjustly condemned to execution; a broader one, about acting when you know of a danger threatening someone’s life. Either way, the point is that knowing and not acting is also a responsibility.
  12. Proverbios 24:12Rejects the excuse of saying you didn’t know about a problem when you could have acted — God, who examines the heart, knows the truth and judges each person by what they actually did.
  13. Proverbios 24:13Recommends eating honey for the simple pleasure it brings — uses this concrete, pleasant image as a bridge to the comparison with wisdom in the next verse.
  14. Proverbios 24:14Compares wisdom to the honey of the previous verse: just as honey is good for the palate, knowledge is good for the soul, bringing reward and a future expectation that won’t be disappointed.
  15. Proverbios 24:15Warns the wicked not to try to harm the house of the righteous — a direct warning against plotting attacks on those who live rightly.
  16. Proverbios 24:16“Seven times” here isn’t an exact count, it’s the same use of the number to mean repeatedly that appears elsewhere in the book, as in chapter 6. The difference between righteous and wicked in the proverb isn’t never falling, it’s getting back up afterward.
  17. Proverbios 24:17The reason only appears in the next verse: it isn’t that the enemy deserves pity, it’s that celebrating his downfall might make God turn His anger away from him. It’s a specific logic in the text about not taking on the role of judge for yourself.
  18. Proverbios 24:18Explains the reason for not rejoicing over an enemy’s downfall, mentioned in the previous verse: doing so may displease God to the point that He even turns His anger away from the enemy toward somewhere else.
  19. Proverbios 24:19Repeats the chapter’s opening advice about not getting upset or envious of whoever does evil — patience with others’ injustice is a recurring theme in this section.
  20. Proverbios 24:20Explains the reason for not envying the wicked: in the end, they have no real reward, and their situation, compared to a lamp, ends up going out.
  21. Proverbios 24:21Advises respecting both God and the king’s authority, and warns against getting involved with whoever seeks rebellion or abrupt change against these authorities.
  22. Proverbios 24:22Warns that ruin for whoever rebels against these authorities can come suddenly and unpredictably — no one knows exactly when or how it will happen.
  23. Proverbios 24:23Marks the start of another small collection within the book, attributed to the wise in general, beginning with the condemnation of judging with partiality.
  24. Proverbios 24:24Notes that whoever unjustly defends someone guilty, calling him righteous, is publicly rejected — the reputation of whoever twists justice suffers the consequences.
  25. Proverbios 24:25Compares the negative reaction of the previous verse with the positive one: whoever rebukes the guilty with honesty receives blessing and is well regarded.
  26. Proverbios 24:26Describes an honest, direct answer as something as valued as a kiss — an affectionate image to describe how much sincerity is appreciated.
  27. Proverbios 24:27Advises organizing basic livelihood first — the work in the field — before investing in building your own house, prioritizing financial stability before comfort.
  28. Proverbios 24:28Warns against giving false testimony against your neighbor without reason — deceiving with your own words is treated as something with no acceptable justification.
  29. Proverbios 24:29Rejects the logic of revenge — “I will do so to him as he hath done to me” — as a valid principle of conduct, leaving retribution beyond the person’s own personal control.
  30. Proverbios 24:30Begins a short illustrative story: the author describes passing by the field of a sluggard and the vineyard of someone lacking sense, setting up the example that follows.
  31. Proverbios 24:31Describes the state of the abandoned field — full of thorns, nettles, and a fallen wall — as the visible result of the neglect and laziness of whoever should have cared for it.
  32. Proverbios 24:32Describes the author’s reaction upon seeing this scene: he reflects on what he saw and draws a practical lesson — observing others’ consequences also teaches something.
  33. Proverbios 24:33This closing almost repeats word for word the end of chapter 6, about the sluggard’s abandoned field — a repetition scholars see as proof that these collections were put together by joining material that already circulated separately. The scene of thistles and a fallen wall in the previous verses is the visual moral behind the proverb.
  34. Proverbios 24:34Closes the chapter by repeating almost word for word the warning from chapter 6 about poverty arriving suddenly, like an armed robber, for whoever lives in laziness.

Chapters

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031

Our apps

Our apps →

Bible in Stories

The Bible told as a story, with audio and videos.

📱 Get the app

World in Stories

True stories of humanity that sound made up.

App StoreGoogle Play

Feito! Pequenas Vitórias

A light daily routine for people who lose track of the day.

App StoreGoogle Play