Proverbs 20
1 Wine is a mocker and strong drink is a brawler; whoever is led astray by drink is not wise.
Wine [is] a scorner — strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
2 The fear of a king is like the fear of a young lion that is roaring; the one who makes him angry forfeits his life.
The fear of a king [is] a growl as of a young lion, He who is causing him to be wroth is wronging his soul.
3 It is an honor for anyone to avoid conflict, but every fool jumps into an argument.
An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.
4 The lazy person does not plow in autumn; he seeks a crop at harvest time but will have nothing.
Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.
5 The purpose in a human heart is like deep water, but someone with understanding will draw it out.
Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draweth it up.
6 Many a person proclaims he is loyal, but who can find one who is faithful?
A multitude of men proclaim each his kindness, And a man of stedfastness who doth find?
7 The righteous person walks in his integrity, and his sons who follow after him will be blessed.
The righteous is walking habitually in his integrity, O the happiness of his sons after him!
8 A king who sits on the throne performing the duties of a judge is winnowing with his eyes all the evil that is before him.
A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering with his eyes all evil,
9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?
Who saith, 'I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?'
10 Differing weights and unequal measures— Yahweh hates them both.
A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to Jehovah.
11 Even a youth is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.
12 Ears that hear and eyes that see— Yahweh made them both.
A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.
13 Do not love sleep or you will come to poverty; open your eyes and you will have plenty to eat.
Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes — be satisfied [with] bread.
14 “Bad! Bad!” says the buyer, but when he goes away he boasts.
'Bad, bad,' saith the buyer, And going his way then he boasteth himself.
15 There is gold and an abundance of costly stones, but lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Yea, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
16 Take a garment of one who has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an immoral woman.
Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.
17 Bread gained by deceit tastes sweet, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.
Sweet to a man [is] the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled [with] gravel.
18 Plans are established by advice and only with wise guidance should you wage war.
Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.
19 A gossip reveals secrets and so you should not associate with people who talk too much.
A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver [with] his lips make not thyself surety.
20 If a person curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be snuffed out in the middle of darkness.
Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.
21 An inheritance gained quickly at the beginning will do less good in the end.
An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
22 Do not say, “I will pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for Yahweh and he will rescue you.
Do not say, 'I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.
23 Yahweh hates unequal weights and dishonest scales are not good.
An abomination to Jehovah [are] a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
24 A person's steps are directed by Yahweh; how then can he understand his way?
From Jehovah [are] the steps of a man, And man — how understandeth he his way?
25 It is a snare for a person to say rashly, “This thing is holy,” and begin to think about what it means only after making his vow.
A snare to a man [is] he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.
26 A wise king winnows the wicked and he turns a threshing wheel over them.
A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.
27 The spirit of a person is the lamp of Yahweh, searching all his inmost parts.
The breath of man [is] a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
28 Covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness preserve the king; his throne is made secure by love.
Kindness and truth keep a king, And he hath supported by kindness his throne.
29 The glory of young men is their strength and the splendor of old people is their gray hair.
The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.
30 Blows that make a wound cleanse away evil and beatings make the innermost parts clean.
The bandages of a wound thou removest with the evil, Also the plagues of the inner parts of the heart!
