Proverbs 20
1 Wine [is] a scorner—strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
Wine is a scorner, strong drink is raging; and whoso erreth thereby is not 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.
The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion: he that provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
3 Cessation from strife is an honor to a man, And every fool interferes.
It is an honour for a man to cease from strife; but every fool rusheth into it.
4 The slothful does not plow because of winter, He asks in harvest, and there is nothing.
The sluggard will not plough by reason of the winter; he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draws it up.
Counsel in the heart of man is deep water, and a man of understanding draweth it out.
6 A multitude of men each proclaim his kindness, And a man of steadfastness who finds?
Most men will proclaim every one his own kindness; but a faithful man who shall find?
7 The righteous is habitually walking in his integrity, O the blessedness of his sons after him!
The righteous walketh in his integrity: blessed are his children after him!
8 A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering all evil with his eyes,
A king sitting on the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
9 Who says, “I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?”
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
10 A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to YHWH.
Divers weights, divers measures, even both of them are abomination to Jehovah.
11 Even by his actions a youth makes himself known, Whether his work is pure or upright.
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
12 A hearing ear, and a seeing eye—YHWH has even made both of them.
The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.
13 Do not love sleep, lest you become poor, Open your eyes—be satisfied [with] bread.
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, [and] thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, And then he boasts himself going his way.
Bad! bad! saith the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
15 Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Indeed, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
There is gold, and a multitude of rubies; but the lips of knowledge are a precious Jewel.
16 When a stranger has been guarantor, take his garment, And pledge it for strangers.
Take his garment that is become surety [for] another, and hold him in pledge for strangers.
17 The bread of falsehood [is] sweet to a man, And afterward his mouth is filled [with] gravel.
Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
18 You establish purposes by counsel, And with plans you make war.
Plans are established by counsel; and with good advice make war.
19 The busybody is a revealer of secret counsels, And do not make yourself guarantor for a deceiver [with] his lips.
He that goeth about talebearing revealeth secrets; therefore meddle not with him that openeth his lips.
20 Whoever is vilifying his father and his mother, his lamp is extinguished in blackness of darkness.
Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in the blackest darkness.
21 An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
An inheritance obtained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed in the end.
22 Do not say, “I repay evil,” Wait for YHWH, and He delivers you.
Say not, I will recompense evil: wait on Jehovah, and he shall save thee.
23 A stone and a stone [are] an abomination to YHWH, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
Divers weights are an abomination unto Jehovah; and a false balance is not good.
24 The steps of a man [are] from YHWH, And man—how does he understand his way?
The steps of a man are from Jehovah; and how can a man 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 a snare to a man rashly to say, It is hallowed, and after vows to make inquiry.
26 A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turns the wheel back on them.
A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
27 The breath of man [is] a lamp of YHWH, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
Man's spirit is the lamp of Jehovah, searching all the inner parts of the belly.
28 Kindness and truth keep a king, And he has supported his throne by kindness.
Mercy and truth preserve the king; and he upholdeth his throne by mercy.
29 The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is grey hairs.
The glory of young men is their strength; and the beauty of old men is the grey head.
30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil, Also the scourges of the inner parts of the heart!
Wounding stripes purge away evil, and strokes [purge] the inner parts of the belly.
