Proverbs 20
1 Wine [is] a scorner—strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
Wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness riotous: whosoever is delighted therewith shell 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.
As the roaring of a lion, so also is the dread of a king: he that provoketh him, 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 separate himself from quarrels: but all fools are meddling with reproaches.
4 The slothful does not plow because of winter, He asks in harvest, and there is nothing.
Because of the cold the sluggard would not plough: he shall beg therefore in the summer, and it shall not be given 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 water: 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 shall find a faithful man?
7 The righteous is habitually walking in his integrity, O the blessedness of his sons after him!
The just that walketh in his simplicity, shall leave behind him blessed children.
8 A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering all evil with his eyes,
The king, that sitteth on the throne of judgment, scattereth away all evil with his look.
9 Who says, “I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?”
Who can 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 and diverse measures, both are abominable before God.
11 Even by his actions a youth makes himself known, Whether his work is pure or upright.
By his inclinations a child is known, if his works be clean and right.
12 A hearing ear, and a seeing eye—YHWH has even made both of them.
The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made them both.
13 Do not love sleep, lest you become poor, Open your eyes—be satisfied [with] bread.
Love not sleep, lest poverty oppress thee: open thy eyes, and be filled with bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, And then he boasts himself going his way.
It is nought, it is nought, saith every buyer: and when he is gone away, then he will boast.
15 Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Indeed, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
There is gold, and a multitude of jewels: but the 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 garment of him that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge from him for strangers.
17 The bread of falsehood [is] sweet to a man, And afterward his mouth is filled [with] gravel.
The bread of lying 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.
Designs are strengthened by counsels: and wars are to be managed by governments.
19 The busybody is a revealer of secret counsels, And do not make yourself guarantor for a deceiver [with] his lips.
Meddle not with him that revealeth secrets, and walketh deceitfully, and openeth wide his lips.
20 Whoever is vilifying his father and his mother, his lamp is extinguished in blackness of darkness.
He that curseth his father, and mother, his lamp shall be put out in the midst of darkness.
21 An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
The inheritance gotten hastily in the beginning, in the end shall be without a blessing.
22 Do not say, “I repay evil,” Wait for YHWH, and He delivers you.
Say not: I will return evil: wait for the Lord and he will deliver thee.
23 A stone and a stone [are] an abomination to YHWH, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
Diverse weights are an abomination before 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 man are guided by the Lord: but who is the man that can 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 to a man to devour holy ones, and after vows to retract.
26 A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turns the wheel back on them.
A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth over them the wheel.
27 The breath of man [is] a lamp of YHWH, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, which searcheth all the hidden things of the bowels.
28 Kindness and truth keep a king, And he has supported his throne by kindness.
Mercy and truth preserve 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 young men is their strength: and the dignity of old men, their grey hairs.
30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil, Also the scourges of the inner parts of the heart!
The blueness of a wound shall wipe away evils: and stripes in the more inward parts of the belly.
