Proverbs 20
1 Wine [is] a scorner—strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
Wine turns you into a mocker, alcohol makes you aggressive; you're stupid to be deceived by drink.
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.
When a king gets terribly angry, he sounds like a roaring lion; anyone who makes him furious is liable to be killed.
3 Cessation from strife is an honor to a man, And every fool interferes.
Avoiding conflict is the proper thing to do, but stupid people are quick to argue.
4 The slothful does not plow because of winter, He asks in harvest, and there is nothing.
Slackers don't sow when they should, so when harvest comes they don't have anything.
5 Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draws it up.
Discovering what someone is planning in their mind is like looking at deep water, but a person who has understanding will find out.
6 A multitude of men each proclaim his kindness, And a man of steadfastness who finds?
Many people tell you they're loyal, but can you find someone really trustworthy?
7 The righteous is habitually walking in his integrity, O the blessedness of his sons after him!
Good people live honestly; how happy are their children if they follow them.
8 A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering all evil with his eyes,
When a king sits in judgment he recognizes all that isn't right.
9 Who says, “I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?”
Who can claim, “I've made sure my conscience is clean; I've purified myself from sin”?
10 A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to YHWH.
The Lord hates both dishonest weights and dishonest measures.
11 Even by his actions a youth makes himself known, Whether his work is pure or upright.
Even children reveal what they're like by what they do, whether their actions are good and right.
12 A hearing ear, and a seeing eye—YHWH has even made both of them.
The Lord made our ears to hear and our eyes to see.
13 Do not love sleep, lest you become poor, Open your eyes—be satisfied [with] bread.
If you love sleeping you'll become poor. Wake up and get busy, and you'll have plenty to eat.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, And then he boasts himself going his way.
“It's really rubbish,” says the one buying, but afterwards goes and boasts to others about making a good deal.
15 Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Indeed, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
There's gold and plenty of expensive gemstones, but talking sense is a more valuable jewel.
16 When a stranger has been guarantor, take his garment, And pledge it for strangers.
If someone guarantees a stranger's debt with their cloak, be sure to take it! Make sure you have whatever is pledged to foreigners!
17 The bread of falsehood [is] sweet to a man, And afterward his mouth is filled [with] gravel.
Food you get by cheating may taste sweet, but afterwards it will be like a mouthful of gravel.
18 You establish purposes by counsel, And with plans you make war.
With sound advice, plans are successful; if you're going to war, make sure you have good guidance.
19 The busybody is a revealer of secret counsels, And do not make yourself guarantor for a deceiver [with] his lips.
A gossip goes around revealing secrets; stay away from people who talk a lot.
20 Whoever is vilifying his father and his mother, his lamp is extinguished in blackness of darkness.
Anyone who curses their father or mother will have their light put out and end in utter darkness.
21 An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
Wealth gained too soon won't do you any good in the end.
22 Do not say, “I repay evil,” Wait for YHWH, and He delivers you.
Don't say, “I'll get you back for doing me wrong.” Leave it to the Lord, and he'll help you.
23 A stone and a stone [are] an abomination to YHWH, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
The Lord hates incorrect weights; using dishonest scales is wrong.
24 The steps of a man [are] from YHWH, And man—how does he understand his way?
The Lord shows us the way to go, so how would we decide for ourselves?
25 A snare to a man [that] he has swallowed a holy thing, And to make inquiry after vows.
It's a mistake to make a promise to God and then have second thoughts about it later.
26 A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turns the wheel back on them.
A wise king separates out the wicked by winnowing and punishes them by threshing.
27 The breath of man [is] a lamp of YHWH, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
The Lord's light shines on the conscience, revealing our deepest thoughts.
28 Kindness and truth keep a king, And he has supported his throne by kindness.
Trustworthy love and faithfulness keep a king safe; trustworthy love supports his rule.
29 The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is grey hairs.
Young men value their strength, but the old value even more the wisdom that comes with gray hair.
30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil, Also the scourges of the inner parts of the heart!
Wounds and blows clean away what's evil; beatings clean what's deep down inside.
