Proverbs 20
1 Wine [is] a scorner—strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
It is a luxurious thing, wine, and inebriation is tumultuous. Anyone who is delighted by this will not be wise.
2 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.
Just like the roaring of a lion, so also is the dread of a king. Whoever provokes him sins in his own soul.
3 Cessation from strife is an honor to a man, And every fool interferes.
Honor is for the man who separates himself from contentions. But all the foolish meddle in altercations.
4 The slothful does not plow because of winter, He asks in harvest, and there is nothing.
Because of the cold, the lazy one was not willing to plough. Therefore, in the summer, he will beg, and it will not be given to him.
5 Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draws it up.
Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep waters. But a wise man will draw it out.
6 A multitude of men each proclaim his kindness, And a man of steadfastness who finds?
Many men are called merciful. But who will find a faithful man?
7 The righteous is habitually walking in his integrity, O the blessedness of his sons after him!
The just who walks in his simplicity shall leave behind him blessed sons.
8 A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering all evil with his eyes,
The king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters all evil with his gaze.
9 Who says, “I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?”
Who is able to say: “My heart is clean. I am pure from sin?”
10 A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to YHWH.
Diverse weights, diverse measures: both are abominable with God.
11 Even by his actions a youth makes himself known, Whether his work is pure or upright.
A child may be understood by his interests: whether his works may be clean and upright.
12 A hearing ear, and a seeing eye—YHWH has even made both of them.
The hearing ear and the seeing eye: the Lord has made them both.
13 Do not love sleep, lest you become poor, Open your eyes—be satisfied [with] bread.
Do not love sleep, lest deprivation oppress you. Open your eyes and be satisfied with bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, And then he boasts himself going his way.
“It is bad, it is bad,” says every buyer; and when he has withdrawn, then he will boast.
15 Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Indeed, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
There is gold, and there are a multitude of jewels. But lips of knowledge are a precious vessel.
16 When a stranger has been guarantor, take his garment, And pledge it for strangers.
Take away the vestments of him who stands up to vouch for a stranger, and take a pledge from him instead of from outsiders.
17 The bread of falsehood [is] sweet to a man, And afterward his mouth is filled [with] gravel.
The bread of lies is sweet to a man. But afterwards, his mouth will be filled with pebbles.
18 You establish purposes by counsel, And with plans you make war.
Plans are strengthened by counsels. And wars are to be handled by governments.
19 The busybody is a revealer of secret counsels, And do not make yourself guarantor for a deceiver [with] his lips.
Do not become involved with him who reveals mysteries, and who walks deceitfully, and who enlarges his lips.
20 Whoever is vilifying his father and his mother, his lamp is extinguished in blackness of darkness.
Whoever curses his father and mother, his lamp will be extinguished in the midst of darkness.
21 An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
When an inheritance is obtained hastily in the beginning, in the end it will be without a blessing.
22 Do not say, “I repay evil,” Wait for YHWH, and He delivers you.
Do not say, “I will repay evil.” Wait for the Lord, and he will free you.
23 A stone and a stone [are] an abomination to YHWH, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
Diverse weights are an abomination with the Lord. A deceitful balance is not good.
24 The steps of a man [are] from YHWH, And man—how does he understand his way?
The steps of men are directed by the Lord. But who is the man able to understand his own way?
25 A snare to a man [that] he has swallowed a holy thing, And to make inquiry after vows.
It is ruin for a man to devour what is holy, or, after making vows, to retract them.
26 A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turns the wheel back on them.
A wise king scatters the impious and bends an archway over them.
27 The breath of man [is] a lamp of YHWH, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
The spirit of a man is a lamp to the Lord, which investigates all the secrets of the inner self.
28 Kindness and truth keep a king, And he has supported his throne by kindness.
Mercy and truth guard the king, and his throne is strengthened by clemency.
29 The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is grey hairs.
The joy of youths is their strength. And the dignity of old men is their grey hairs.
30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil, Also the scourges of the inner parts of the heart!
The bruise of a wound, as well as scourges, shall wipe away evils in the more secret places of the inner self.
