Proverbs 20

1 [is] a mocker Wine [is] noisy strong drink and any [one who] staggers in it not he is wise.

Drinking a lot of wine or [other] strong drinks causes people to start fighting; it is foolish to become drunk/intoxicated.

2 [is] a roaring Like young lion [the] terror of a king [one who] infuriates him [is] missing life his.

Being afraid of a king when he is angry is like [SIM] being afraid of a lion when it growls/roars; if you cause the king to become angry, he may execute you.

3 [is] honor To person cessation from strife and every fool he bursts out.

[People] respect those who stay away from disputes/arguments; foolish people [love to] quarrel.

4 From winter a sluggard not he plows (and he asks *Q(K)*) at the harvest and nothing.

[If] a lazy man does not plow [his fields at the right/proper time], he will look for [crops] at harvest [time], but there will be nothing there.

5 [is] water Deep a plan in [the] heart of a person and a person of understanding he draws out it.

[Just] as it is difficult to bring up water from a deep well, it is difficult to know what people are thinking, but someone who has good sense/insight will be able to find out what people are thinking.

6 A multitude of person[s] he proclaims each one loyalty his and a person of faithfulness who? will he find.

Many people proclaim that they can be trusted [to do what they say that they will do], but it is very difficult to find [RHQ] someone who can really be trusted.

7 [one who] goes about In integrity his a righteous [person] how blessed! [are] sons his after him.

If parents conduct their lives as they should, [God] blesses their children (OR, their children are very happy/fortunate).

8 A king [who] sits on a throne of judgment [is] winnowing with eyes his all evil.

A king who sits on his throne to judge people can [easily] [MTY] find out what things that people have done are good and what things are evil.

9 Who? will he say I have kept pure heart my I am pure from sin my.

There is no one [RHQ] who can truthfully say, “I do not know of any wrong things that I have done; I have (gotten rid of all my sinful behavior/quit doing what is sinful).”

10 A weight and a weight a measure and a measure [are] [the] abomination of Yahweh also both of them.

Yahweh detests people who use weights that are not right and measures that are not correct.

11 Also by deeds his he makes himself known a youth if [is] pure and if [is] upright activity his.

Even children show by what they do whether they are good or not; they show whether (what they do/their behavior) is honest and right [or not].

12 An ear [which] hears and an eye [which] sees Yahweh he has made also both of them.

Two of the things that Yahweh has created [for us] are ears to hear things and eyes to see things.

13 May not you love sleep lest you should become impoverished open eyes your be satisfied food.

If you want to sleep [all the time], you will become poor; if you stay awake [and work], you will have plenty of food.

14 Bad bad he says the buyer and [he is] going away himself then he boasts.

People [look at things that they are about] to buy, [and in order to get it for a lower price sometimes they] say, “(It is no good/It is poor quality),” but [after they buy it], they go and boast [about having bought it for a cheap price].

15 There [is] gold and abundance of jewels and [are] an article of preciousness lips of knowledge.

Gold and precious stones are [valuable], but wise words [MTY] are more valuable.

16 Take garment his for he stands surety for a stranger and for (a foreign [woman] *Q(K)*) hold in pledge it.

If you foolishly promise to a stranger that you will pay what he owes if he is unable to pay it [DOU], [you deserve to] have someone take your coat from you.

17 [is] sweet To person food of falsehood and after it will be filled mouth his gravel.

People [may] think that food that they acquire by doing what is dishonest will taste very good, but later [they will not enjoy what they have done any more than they would enjoy] eating gravel/sand.

18 Plans by counsel it is established and by wise directions make war.

When people give you good advice, [if you do what they suggest], your plans will succeed; so be sure to get good advice from wise people before you start fighting a war.

19 [is] uncovering Secret counsel [one who] goes about a slanderer and to [one who] opens lips his not you will get involved.

Those who go around telling gossip are [always] telling secrets to [others]; so stay away from people who foolishly talk [too much].

20 [one who] curses Father his and mother his it will be extinguished lamp his (in a time of *Q(K)*) darkness.

If someone curses his father or his mother, his life will be ended, [just] like a lamp is extinguished.

21 An inheritance (hastily gained *Q(K)*) at first and end its not it will be blessed.

If you very quickly take the property that your parents promise will be yours after they die, you will not receive any good/blessing from it.

22 May not you say I will repay evil wait for Yahweh so may he deliver you.

Do not say, “I will do evil to those who do evil to me;” wait for Yahweh [to do something about it], and he will (help you/[do what is right]).

23 [are] [the] abomination of Yahweh a weight and a weight and balances of deceit not [are] good.

Yahweh detests [those who use] dishonest scales and weights that are not accurate/correct.

24 [are] from Yahweh [the] steps of a man and anyone what? will he understand own way his.

Yahweh is the one who has decided what will happen to us, so (how can we (understand/know) what will happen before it happens?/we humans certainly cannot (understand/know) what will happen before it happens.) [RHQ]

25 A snare of a person he may say rashly holiness and after [the] vows to consider.

You should think carefully before you solemnly promise to dedicate something to God, because later you might be sorry you have promised to do it.

26 [is] winnowing Wicked [people] a king wise and he brought back over them a wheel.

Wise kings find out [MET] which people have done what is wrong, and they punish them very severely [IDM].

27 [the] lamp of Yahweh [is the] breath of a human [it is] searching all [the] chambers of [the] belly.

Our consciences are [like] lamps that Yahweh [has given to us to enable us to know what we are thinking] [MET]; they reveal what is hidden deep in our (minds/inner beings).

28 Loyalty and faithfulness they preserve a king and he sustains by loyalty throne his.

Kings will continue to rule as long as they faithfully love their people and are loyal to them and as long as they rule righteously/fairly.

29 [the] glory of Young men [is] strength their and [the] splendor of old [people] [is] gray hair.

We honor/admire young people because they are strong, but we respect [MTY] old people more because they are wise.

30 Wounds of bruise[s] ([are] a cleansing *Q(K)*) evil and blows [the] chambers of [the] belly.

When we are beaten or whipped, it [can] cause us to quit doing what is evil in our lives; when someone wounds us [by punishing us], it [can] cause our behavior to become good.