Proverbs 20
1 Wine [is] a scorner—strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And he that reeleth with it 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 like the roaring of a lion; He who provoketh him sinneth against himself.
3 Cessation from strife is an honor to a man, And every fool interferes.
It is an honor to a man to cease from strife; Bur 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 cold; Therefore shall he 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.
A design in the heart of a man is like deep waters; But a man of understanding draweth it out.
6 A multitude of men each proclaim his kindness, And a man of steadfastness who finds?
Many will proclaim their own kindness; But a faithful man who can find?
7 The righteous is habitually walking in his integrity, O the blessedness of his sons after him!
He who walketh in his integrity is a righteous man; Happy will be his children after him!
8 A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering all evil with his eyes,
The king, sitting upon the throne of judgment, Scattereth with his eyes all the wicked like chaff.
9 Who says, “I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?”
Who can say, “I have kept my heart clean; I am free 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 and divers measures, —Both of them are an abomination to the LORD.
11 Even by his actions a youth makes himself known, Whether his work is pure or upright.
Even in childhood one maketh himself known by his doings, Whether his actions will be pure and right.
12 A hearing ear, and a seeing eye—YHWH has even made both of them.
The ear that heareth, and the eye that seeth, —The LORD made them both.
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 hath 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 abundance of pearls; But the lips of knowledge are a precious vase.
16 When a stranger has been guarantor, take his garment, And pledge it for strangers.
Take his garment who is surety for another; Yea, take a pledge of him who is bound for a stranger.
17 The bread of falsehood [is] sweet to a man, And afterward his mouth is filled [with] gravel.
The bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.
18 You establish purposes by counsel, And with plans you make war.
Purposes are established by counsel; Therefore 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 who goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; Therefore associate not with him who keepeth open 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 midnight darkness.
21 An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
A possession may be gotten hastily in the beginning, But in the end it will not be blessed.
22 Do not say, “I repay evil,” Wait for YHWH, and He delivers you.
Say not thou, “I will repay evil;” Wait on the LORD, and he will help thee.
23 A stone and a stone [are] an abomination to YHWH, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
Divers weights are an abomination to the LORD, And a false balance is not good.
24 The steps of a man [are] from YHWH, And man—how does he understand his way?
A man's steps are from the LORD; How, then, can a man understand his 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 to utter a vow rashly, And after vows to consider.
26 A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turns the wheel back on them.
A wise king scattereth the wicked like chaff, 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 inner chambers of his body.
28 Kindness and truth keep a king, And he has supported his throne by kindness.
Mercy and truth preserve the king; Yea, his throne is upholden 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 gray head.
30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil, Also the scourges of the inner parts of the heart!
Wounding stripes are the remedy for a bad man; Yea, stripes which reach to the inner chambers of the body.
