Proverbs 20
1 Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
Wine [is] a scorner — strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
2 The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own 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 honour for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarrelling.
An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.
4 The sluggard will not plough by reason of the winter; therefore he shall 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 Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man?
A multitude of men proclaim each his kindness, And a man of stedfastness who doth find?
7 A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him.
The righteous is walking habitually in his integrity, O the happiness of his sons after him!
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgement scatters 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 pure. I am clean and without sin”?
Who saith, 'I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?'
10 Differing weights and differing measures, both of them alike are an 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 makes himself 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 has made even both of them.
A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.
13 Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.
Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes — be satisfied [with] bread.
14 “It’s no good, it’s no good,” says the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.
'Bad, bad,' saith the buyer, And going his way then he boasteth himself.
15 There is gold and abundance of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.
Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Yea, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
16 Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman.
Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.
17 Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.
Sweet to a man [is] the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled [with] gravel.
18 Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage war!
Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.
19 He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips.
A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver [with] his lips make not thyself surety.
20 Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.
Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.
21 An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning won’t be blessed in the end.
An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
22 Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.” Wait for the LORD, and he will save you.
Do not say, 'I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.
23 The LORD detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are not pleasing.
An abomination to Jehovah [are] a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
24 A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?
From Jehovah [are] the steps of a man, And man — how understandeth he his way?
25 It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows.
A snare to a man [is] he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked, and drives the threshing wheel over them.
A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.
27 The spirit of man is the LORD’s lamp, searching all his innermost parts.
The breath of man [is] a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
28 Love and faithfulness keep the king safe. His throne is sustained 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. The splendour of old men is their grey hair.
The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.
30 Wounding blows cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the innermost parts.
The bandages of a wound thou removest with the evil, Also the plagues of the inner parts of the heart!
