Proverbs 20
1 Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whoever is deceived by it 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] as the roaring of a lion: [whoever] provoketh him to anger sinneth [against] his own soul.
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 a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.
4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; [therefore] shall he beg in harvest, and [have] nothing.
Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of man [is like] deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draweth it up.
6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
A multitude of men proclaim each his kindness, And a man of stedfastness who doth find?
7 The just [man] walketh in his integrity: his children [are] blessed after him.
The righteous is walking habitually in his integrity, O the happiness of his sons after him!
8 A king that sitteth on the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering with his eyes all evil,
9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
Who saith, 'I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?'
10 Divers weights, [and] divers measures, both of them [are] alike abomination to the LORD.
A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to Jehovah.
11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work [is] pure, and whether [it is] right.
Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.
A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thy eyes, [and] thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes — be satisfied [with] bread.
14 [It is] naught, [it is] naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone, then he boasteth.
'Bad, bad,' saith the buyer, And going his way then he boasteth himself.
15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge [are] a precious jewel.
Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Yea, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
16 Take his garment that is surety [for] a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.
17 Bread of deceit [is] sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
Sweet to a man [is] the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled [with] gravel.
18 [Every] purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.
19 He that goeth about [as] a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver [with] his lips make not thyself surety.
20 Whoever curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.
21 An inheritance [may be] gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end of it shall not be blessed.
An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; [but] wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
Do not say, 'I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.
23 Divers weights [are] an abomination to the LORD; and a false balance [is] not good.
An abomination to Jehovah [are] a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
24 Man's goings [are] of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
From Jehovah [are] the steps of a man, And man — how understandeth he his way?
25 [It is] a snare to the man [who] devoureth [that which is] holy, and after vows to make inquiry.
A snare to a man [is] he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.
26 A wise king scatterreth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.
27 The spirit of man [is] the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
The breath of man [is] a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
28 Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upheld by mercy.
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 beauty of old men [is] the gray head.
The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.
30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so [do] stripes the inward parts of the belly.
The bandages of a wound thou removest with the evil, Also the plagues of the inner parts of the heart!
