Proverbs 20
1 Drinking a lot of wine or [other] strong drinks causes people to start fighting; it is foolish to become drunk/intoxicated.
Wine is an intemperate thing, and strong drink full of violence: but every fool is entangled with them.
2 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.
The threat of a king differs not from the rage of a lion; and he that provokes him sins against his own soul.
3 [People] respect those who stay away from disputes/arguments; foolish people [love to] quarrel.
[It is] a glory to a man to turn aside from railing; but every fool is entangled with such matters.
4 [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.
A sluggard when reproached is not ashamed: so also he who borrows corn in harvest.
5 [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.
Counsel in a man's heart is deep water; but a prudent man will draw it out.
6 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.
A man is valuable, and a merciful man precious: but [it is] hard to find a faithful man.
7 If parents conduct their lives as they should, [God] blesses their children (OR, their children are very happy/fortunate).
He that walks blameless in justice, shall leave his children blessed.
8 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.
Whenever a righteous king sits on the throne, no evil thing can stand before his presence.
9 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).”
Who will boast that he has a pure heart? or who will boldly say that he is pure from sins?
10 Yahweh detests people who use weights that are not right and measures that are not correct.
A large and small weight, and divers measures, are even both of them unclean before the Lord; and [so is] he that makes them.
11 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].
A youth [when in company] with a godly man, will be restrained in his devices, and [then] his way will be straight.
12 Two of the things that Yahweh has created [for us] are ears to hear things and eyes to see things.
The ear hears, and the eye sees: even both of them are the Lord's work.
13 If you want to sleep [all the time], you will become poor; if you stay awake [and work], you will have plenty of food.
Love not to speak ill, lest thou be cut off: open thine eyes, and be filled with bread.
14 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 Gold and precious stones are [valuable], but wise words [MTY] are more valuable.
16 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 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 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 Those who go around telling gossip are [always] telling secrets to [others]; so stay away from people who foolishly talk [too much].
20 If someone curses his father or his mother, his life will be ended, [just] like a lamp is extinguished.
The lamp of him that reviles father or mother shall be put out, and his eyeballs shall see darkness.
21 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.
A portion hastily gotten at first shall not be blessed in the end.
22 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]).
Say not, I will avenge myself on my enemy; but wait on the Lord, that he may help thee.
23 Yahweh detests [those who use] dishonest scales and weights that are not accurate/correct.
A double weight is an abomination to the Lord; and a deceitful balance is not good in his sight.
24 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]
A man's goings are directed of the Lord: how then can a mortal understand his ways?
25 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.
It is a snare to a man hastily to consecrate some of his own property: for [in that case] repentance comes after vowing.
26 Wise kings find out [MET] which people have done what is wrong, and they punish them very severely [IDM].
A wise king utterly crushes the ungodly, and will bring a wheel upon them.
27 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).
The spirit of man is a light of the Lord, who searches the inmost parts of the belly.
28 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.
Mercy and truth are a guard to a king, and will surround his throne with righteousness.
29 We honor/admire young people because they are strong, but we respect [MTY] old people more because they are wise.
Wisdom is an ornament to young men; and grey [hairs] are the glory of old men.
30 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.
Bruises and contusions befall bad men; and plagues [shall come] in the inward parts of [their] belly.
