Proverbs 20
1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Wine [is] a scorner — strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provokes him to anger sins 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 cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.
4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.
Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of man is like 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 draweth it up.
6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
A multitude of men proclaim each his kindness, And a man of stedfastness who doth find?
7 The just man walks in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
The righteous is walking habitually in his integrity, O the happiness of his sons after him!
8 A king that sits in the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.
A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering with his eyes all evil,
9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
Who saith, 'I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?'
10 Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.
A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to Jehovah.
11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be 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 has made even both of them.
A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.
13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.
Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes — be satisfied [with] bread.
14 It is nil, it is nil, says the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.
'Bad, bad,' saith the buyer, And going his way then he boasteth himself.
15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Yea, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
16 Take his garment that is guarantor for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.
17 Bread of deceit 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 Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.
19 He that goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flatters with his lips.
A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver [with] his lips make not thyself surety.
20 Whoso curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.
21 An inheritance may be got hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
22 Say not you, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save you.
Do not say, 'I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.
23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.
An abomination to Jehovah [are] a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
24 Man's activities are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
From Jehovah [are] the steps of a man, And man — how understandeth he his way?
25 It is a snare to the man who devours that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
A snare to a man [is] he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.
26 A wise king scatters the wicked, and brings the wheel over them.
A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.
27 The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
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 supported by mercy.
Kindness and truth keep a king, And he hath supported by kindness his throne.
29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.
The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.
30 The blueness of a wound cleanses away evil: so do stripes the 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!
