Proverbs 20
1 Wine [is] a scorner—strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
Wine is, a scoffer, and strong drink, a brawler, every one therefore who erreth therein, is unwise.
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 growl as of a young lion, is the dread inspired by a king, he that provoketh him, endangereth his own life.
3 Cessation from strife is an honor to a man, And every fool interferes.
Honour, hath the man who sitteth away from strife, but, any fool, may break through.
4 The slothful does not plow because of winter, He asks in harvest, and there is nothing.
By reason of the autumn, a sluggard will not plough, therefore shall he beg in harvest, and there be nothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draws it up.
Deep water, is counsel in a man’s heart, but, a man of understanding, will draw it out.
6 A multitude of men each proclaim his kindness, And a man of steadfastness who finds?
A kind man one may call, a great man, —but, a faithful man, who can find?
7 The righteous is habitually walking in his integrity, O the blessedness of his sons after him!
As for a righteous man, walking in his integrity, how happy 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, with his eyes, all wrong.
9 Who says, “I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?”
Who can say, I have cleansed my heart, 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, and divers measures, an abomination to Yahweh, are they, both.
11 Even by his actions a youth makes himself known, Whether his work is pure or upright.
Even, by his doings, doth a youth make himself known, whether, pure and upright, be his work.
12 A hearing ear, and a seeing eye—YHWH has even made both of them.
The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Yahweh hath made them, both.
13 Do not love sleep, lest you become poor, Open your eyes—be satisfied [with] bread.
Do not love sleep, lest thou come to poverty, open thine eyes, be satisfied with bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, And then he boasts himself going his way.
Bad! bad! saith the buyer, but, going his way, then, he boasteth.
15 Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Indeed, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
There are gold, and an abundance of corals, but, precious jewels, are the lips of knowledge.
16 When a stranger has been guarantor, take his garment, And pledge it for strangers.
Take his garment who is pledge for a stranger, —then, for a woman unknown, accept him as surety.
17 The bread of falsehood [is] sweet to a man, And afterward his mouth is filled [with] gravel.
Sweet to a man, may be the bread of falsehood, but, afterward, shall his mouth be filled with gravel.
18 You establish purposes by counsel, And with plans you make war.
Plans—by counsel, shalt thou establish, and, with concerted measures, make thou war.
19 The busybody is a revealer of secret counsels, And do not make yourself guarantor for a deceiver [with] his lips.
A revealer of secrets, is one who goeth about talebearing, therefore, with him who openeth his lips, shalt thou not have fellowship.
20 Whoever is vilifying his father and his mother, his lamp is extinguished in blackness of darkness.
Whoso revileth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in deep darkness.
21 An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
An inheritance hastily gotten at the beginning, the latter end thereof, shall not bring blessing.
22 Do not say, “I repay evil,” Wait for YHWH, and He delivers you.
Do not say, I will requite wrong! Wait thou for Yahweh that he may save thee.
23 A stone and a stone [are] an abomination to YHWH, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
An abomination to Yahweh, are divers weights, and, deceptive balances, are not good.
24 The steps of a man [are] from YHWH, And man—how does he understand his way?
From Yahweh, are a man’s steps, a son of earth, then—how can he discern 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, that he should rashly cry Holy! and, after making vows, to reflect!
26 A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turns the wheel back on them.
A wise king, winnoweth out the lawless, when he hath turned over them the wheel.
27 The breath of man [is] a lamp of YHWH, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
The lamp of Yahweh, is the spirit of a son of earth, searching all the chambers of the inner man.
28 Kindness and truth keep a king, And he has supported his throne by kindness.
Lovingkindness and faithfulness, will guard a king, —therefore should he support, with lovingkindness, his throne.
29 The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is grey hairs.
The beauty of young men, is their strength, and, the ornament of old men, a hoary head.
30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil, Also the scourges of the inner parts of the heart!
Blows that cut in, cleanse away wickedness, and, smitings, [enter] the chambers of the inner man.
