Proverbs 20
1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever errs thereby is not wise.
Wine [is] a scorner—strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
2 The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger sins against his own life.
The fear of a king [is] a growl as of a young lion, He who is causing him to be angry is wronging his soul.
3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarrelling.
Cessation from strife is an honor to a man, And every fool interferes.
4 The sluggard will not plow because of the winter. Therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.
The slothful does not plow because of winter, He asks in harvest, and there is nothing.
5 Purpose in the heart of man is deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draws it up.
6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness, but a faithful man who can find?
A multitude of men each proclaim his kindness, And a man of steadfastness who finds?
7 A righteous man who walks in his integrity, blessed are his sons after him.
The righteous is habitually walking in his integrity, O the blessedness of his sons after him!
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.
A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering all evil with his eyes,
9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean. I am pure from my sin?
Who says, “I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?”
10 Diverse weights, and diverse measures, both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.
A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to YHWH.
11 Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
Even by his actions a youth makes himself known, Whether his work is pure or upright.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Jehovah has made even both of them.
A hearing ear, and a seeing eye—YHWH has even made both of them.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty. Open thine eyes, and thou shall be satisfied with bread.
Do not love sleep, lest you become poor, Open your eyes—be satisfied [with] bread.
14 It is bad, it is bad, says the buyer, but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.
“Bad, bad,” says the buyer, And then he boasts himself going his way.
15 There is gold, and abundance of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Indeed, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
16 Take his garment who is surety for a stranger, and hold him in pledge for foreigners.
When a stranger has been guarantor, take his garment, And pledge it for strangers.
17 Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
The bread of falsehood [is] sweet to a man, And afterward his mouth is filled [with] gravel.
18 Every purpose is established by counsel, and by wise guidance make thou war.
You establish purposes by counsel, And with plans you make war.
19 He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets. Therefore do not associate with him who opens wide his lips.
The busybody is a revealer of secret counsels, And do not make yourself guarantor for a deceiver [with] his lips.
20 He who curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.
Whoever is vilifying his father and his mother, his lamp is extinguished in blackness of darkness.
21 An inheritance gotten hastily at the beginning shall not be blessed in the end.
An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
22 Say thou not, I will recompense evil. Wait for Jehovah, and he will save thee.
Do not say, “I repay evil,” Wait for YHWH, and He delivers you.
23 Diverse weights are an abomination to Jehovah, and a false balance is not good.
A stone and a stone [are] an abomination to YHWH, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
24 A man's goings are of Jehovah, how then can man understand his way?
The steps of a man [are] from YHWH, And man—how does he understand his way?
25 It is a snare to a man to say rashly, It is holy. And to make inquiry after vows.
A snare to a man [that] he has swallowed a holy thing, And to make inquiry after vows.
26 A wise king winnows the wicked, and brings the wheel over them.
A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turns the wheel back on them.
27 The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, searching all his innermost parts.
The breath of man [is] a lamp of YHWH, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
28 Kindness and truth preserve the king, and his throne is upheld by kindness.
Kindness and truth keep a king, And he has supported his throne by kindness.
29 The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is the hoary head.
The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is grey hairs.
30 Stripes that wound cleanse away evil, and strokes, the innermost parts.
Blows that wound cleanse away evil, Also the scourges of the inner parts of the heart!
