Proverbs 20
1 Wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness riotous: whosoever is delighted therewith shell not be wise.
Wine [is] a scorner — strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
2 As the roaring of a lion, so also is the dread of a king: he that provoketh him, sinneth against his own soul.
The fear of a king [is] a growl as of a young lion, He who is causing him to be wroth is wronging his soul.
3 It is an honour for a man to separate himself from quarrels: but all fools are meddling with reproaches.
An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.
4 Because of the cold the sluggard would not plough: he shall beg therefore in the summer, and it shall not be given him.
Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water: but a wise man will draw it out.
Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draweth it up.
6 Many men are called merciful: but who shall find a faithful man?
A multitude of men proclaim each his kindness, And a man of stedfastness who doth find?
7 The just that walketh in his simplicity, shall leave behind him blessed children.
The righteous is walking habitually in his integrity, O the happiness of his sons after him!
8 The king, that sitteth on the throne of judgment, scattereth away all evil with his look.
A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering with his eyes all evil,
9 Who can say: My heart is clean, I am pure from sin?
Who saith, 'I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?'
10 Diverse weights and diverse measures, both are abominable before God.
A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to Jehovah.
11 By his inclinations a child is known, if his works be clean and right.
Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made them both.
A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.
13 Love not sleep, lest poverty oppress thee: open thy eyes, and be filled with bread.
Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes — be satisfied [with] bread.
14 It is nought, it is nought, saith every buyer: and when he is gone away, then he will boast.
'Bad, bad,' saith the buyer, And going his way then he boasteth himself.
15 There is gold, and a multitude of jewels: but the lips of knowledge are a precious vessel.
Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Yea, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
16 Take away the garment of him that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge from him for strangers.
Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.
17 The bread of lying is sweet to a man: but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
Sweet to a man [is] the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled [with] gravel.
18 Designs are strengthened by counsels: and wars are to be managed by governments.
Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.
19 Meddle not with him that revealeth secrets, and walketh deceitfully, and openeth wide his lips.
A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver [with] his lips make not thyself surety.
20 He that curseth his father, and mother, his lamp shall be put out in the midst of darkness.
Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.
21 The inheritance gotten hastily in the beginning, in the end shall be without a blessing.
An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
22 Say not: I will return evil: wait for the Lord and he will deliver thee.
Do not say, 'I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.
23 Diverse weights are an abomination before the Lord: a deceitful balance is not good.
An abomination to Jehovah [are] a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
24 The steps of man are guided by the Lord: but who is the man that can understand his own way?
From Jehovah [are] the steps of a man, And man — how understandeth he his way?
25 It is ruin to a man to devour holy ones, and after vows to retract.
A snare to a man [is] he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.
26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth over them the wheel.
A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.
27 The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, which searcheth all the hidden things of the bowels.
The breath of man [is] a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
28 Mercy and truth preserve the king, and his throne is strengthened by clemency.
Kindness and truth keep a king, And he hath supported by kindness his throne.
29 The joy of young men is their strength: and the dignity of old men, their grey hairs.
The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.
30 The blueness of a wound shall wipe away evils: and stripes in the more inward parts of the belly.
The bandages of a wound thou removest with the evil, Also the plagues of the inner parts of the heart!
