Proverbs 20
1 Wine [is] a scorner — strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
It is a luxurious thing, wine, and inebriation is tumultuous. Anyone who is delighted by this will not be wise.
2 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.
Just like the roaring of a lion, so also is the dread of a king. Whoever provokes him sins in his own soul.
3 An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.
Honor is for the man who separates himself from contentions. But all the foolish meddle in altercations.
4 Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.
Because of the cold, the lazy one was not willing to plough. Therefore, in the summer, he will beg, and it will not be given to him.
5 Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draweth it up.
Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep waters. But a wise man will draw it out.
6 A multitude of men proclaim each his kindness, And a man of stedfastness who doth find?
Many men are called merciful. But who will find a faithful man?
7 The righteous is walking habitually in his integrity, O the happiness of his sons after him!
The just who walks in his simplicity shall leave behind him blessed sons.
8 A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering with his eyes all evil,
The king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters all evil with his gaze.
9 Who saith, 'I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?'
Who is able to say: “My heart is clean. I am pure from sin?”
10 A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to Jehovah.
Diverse weights, diverse measures: both are abominable with God.
11 Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.
A child may be understood by his interests: whether his works may be clean and upright.
12 A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.
The hearing ear and the seeing eye: the Lord has made them both.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes — be satisfied [with] bread.
Do not love sleep, lest deprivation oppress you. Open your eyes and be satisfied with bread.
14 'Bad, bad,' saith the buyer, And going his way then he boasteth himself.
“It is bad, it is bad,” says every buyer; and when he has withdrawn, then he will boast.
15 Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Yea, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
There is gold, and there are a multitude of jewels. But lips of knowledge are a precious vessel.
16 Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.
Take away the vestments of him who stands up to vouch for a stranger, and take a pledge from him instead of from outsiders.
17 Sweet to a man [is] the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled [with] gravel.
The bread of lies is sweet to a man. But afterwards, his mouth will be filled with pebbles.
18 Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.
Plans are strengthened by counsels. And wars are to be handled by governments.
19 A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver [with] his lips make not thyself surety.
Do not become involved with him who reveals mysteries, and who walks deceitfully, and who enlarges his lips.
20 Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.
Whoever curses his father and mother, his lamp will be extinguished in the midst of darkness.
21 An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
When an inheritance is obtained hastily in the beginning, in the end it will be without a blessing.
22 Do not say, 'I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.
Do not say, “I will repay evil.” Wait for the Lord, and he will free you.
23 An abomination to Jehovah [are] a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
Diverse weights are an abomination with the Lord. A deceitful balance is not good.
24 From Jehovah [are] the steps of a man, And man — how understandeth he his way?
The steps of men are directed by the Lord. But who is the man able to understand his own way?
25 A snare to a man [is] he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.
It is ruin for a man to devour what is holy, or, after making vows, to retract them.
26 A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.
A wise king scatters the impious and bends an archway over them.
27 The breath of man [is] a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
The spirit of a man is a lamp to the Lord, which investigates all the secrets of the inner self.
28 Kindness and truth keep a king, And he hath supported by kindness his throne.
Mercy and truth guard the king, and his throne is strengthened by clemency.
29 The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.
The joy of youths is their strength. And the dignity of old men is their grey hairs.
30 The bandages of a wound thou removest with the evil, Also the plagues of the inner parts of the heart!
The bruise of a wound, as well as scourges, shall wipe away evils in the more secret places of the inner self.
