Proverbs 20
1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is noisy; and whosoever indulgeth therein will never be wise.
Wine [is] a scorner — strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
2 Like the roaring of a young lion is the dread of a king: whoso provoketh him to anger 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 honor for a man to cease from a contest; but every fool enrageth himself.
An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.
4 Because it is winter's cold, will the sluggard not plough: when he therefore seeketh in the harvest time, there will be nothing.
Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.
5 Like deep water is counsel in the heart of man; but the 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 kindness; but who can find a faithful man?
A multitude of men proclaim each his kindness, And a man of stedfastness who doth find?
7 The righteous walketh in his integrity: happy will be his children after him.
The righteous is walking habitually in his integrity, O the happiness of his sons after him!
8 A king that sitteth on the throne of justice scattereth away with his eyes all evil.
A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering with his eyes all evil,
9 Who can say, I have made my heart pure, I am cleansed from my sin.
Who saith, 'I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?'
10 Divers weights, and divers measures, are both of them alike an abomination of 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 maketh himself known by his doings, whether his work will be pure, and whether it will be upright.
Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.
12 The ear that heareth, and the eye that seeth, the Lord hath made both of them alike.
A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty: open thy eyes, so wilt thou be satisfied with bread.
Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes — be satisfied [with] bread.
14 It is bad, it is bad, saith the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then doth he boast.
'Bad, bad,' saith the buyer, And going his way then he boasteth himself.
15 There is gold, and a multitude of pearls; but a precious vessel are the lips of knowledge.
Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Yea, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
16 Take away his garment, because he hath become surety for a stranger; and on account of a strange woman take a pledge from him.
Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.
17 Bread of falsehood is pleasant to a man; but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel-stones.
Sweet to a man [is] the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled [with] gravel.
18 Plans are established by counsel; and with wise reflection conduct war.
Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.
19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that enticeth with his lips.
A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver [with] his lips make not thyself surety.
20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother—his lamp shall be quenched in obscure darkness.
Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.
21 An inheritance hastily gotten at the beginning will at its end not be blessed,
An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
22 Do not say, I will recompense evil; [but] wait on the Lord, and he will help thee.
Do not say, 'I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.
23 Divers weights are an abomination of the Lord; and a deceitful balance is not good.
An abomination to Jehovah [are] a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
24 From the Lord are the steps of man [ordained]; but man— how can he 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 a man to sanctify things hastily, and to make inquiry only after having made vows.
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 turneth over them the threshing-wheel.
A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.
27 A lamp of the Lord is the soul of man, searching all the inner chambers of the body.
The breath of man [is] a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
28 Kindness and truth will watch over a king, and he will prop up through kindness his throne.
Kindness and truth keep a king, And he hath supported by kindness his throne.
29 The ornament of young men is their strength; and the glory of old men is a hoary head.
The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.
30 The bruises of a wound are cleansing means for the bad, and stripes [will reach] the inner chambers of the body.
The bandages of a wound thou removest with the evil, Also the plagues of the inner parts of the heart!
