Proverbs 20
1 Wine [is] a scorner — strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And he that reeleth with it is not 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.
The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion; He who provoketh him sinneth against himself.
3 An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.
It is an honor to a man to cease from strife; Bur every fool rusheth into it.
4 Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.
The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold; Therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draweth it up.
A design in the heart of a man is like deep waters; But a man of understanding draweth it out.
6 A multitude of men proclaim each his kindness, And a man of stedfastness who doth find?
Many will proclaim their own kindness; But a faithful man who can find?
7 The righteous is walking habitually in his integrity, O the happiness of his sons after him!
He who walketh in his integrity is a righteous man; Happy will be his children after him!
8 A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering with his eyes all evil,
The king, sitting upon the throne of judgment, Scattereth with his eyes all the wicked like chaff.
9 Who saith, 'I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?'
Who can say, “I have kept my heart clean; I am free from my sin?”
10 A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to Jehovah.
Divers weights and divers measures, —Both of them are an abomination to the LORD.
11 Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.
Even in childhood one maketh himself known by his doings, Whether his actions will be pure and right.
12 A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.
The ear that heareth, and the eye that seeth, —The LORD made them both.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes — be satisfied [with] bread.
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
14 'Bad, bad,' saith the buyer, And going his way then he boasteth himself.
“Bad! bad!” saith the buyer; But when he hath gone his way, then he boasteth.
15 Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Yea, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
There is gold and abundance of pearls; But the lips of knowledge are a precious vase.
16 Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.
Take his garment who is surety for another; Yea, take a pledge of him who is bound for a stranger.
17 Sweet to a man [is] the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled [with] gravel.
The bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.
18 Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.
Purposes are established by counsel; Therefore with good advice make war.
19 A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver [with] his lips make not thyself surety.
He who goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; Therefore associate not with him who keepeth open his lips.
20 Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.
Whoso curseth his father or his mother, His lamp shall be put out in midnight darkness.
21 An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
A possession may be gotten hastily in the beginning, But in the end it will not be blessed.
22 Do not say, 'I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.
Say not thou, “I will repay evil;” Wait on the LORD, and he will help thee.
23 An abomination to Jehovah [are] a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
Divers weights are an abomination to the LORD, And a false balance is not good.
24 From Jehovah [are] the steps of a man, And man — how understandeth he his way?
A man's steps are from the LORD; How, then, can a man understand his way?
25 A snare to a man [is] he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.
It is a snare to a man to utter a vow rashly, And after vows to consider.
26 A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.
A wise king scattereth the wicked like chaff, And bringeth over them the wheel.
27 The breath of man [is] a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Which searcheth all the inner chambers of his body.
28 Kindness and truth keep a king, And he hath supported by kindness his throne.
Mercy and truth preserve the king; Yea, his throne is upholden by mercy.
29 The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.
The glory of young men is their strength, And the beauty of old men is the gray head.
30 The bandages of a wound thou removest with the evil, Also the plagues of the inner parts of the heart!
Wounding stripes are the remedy for a bad man; Yea, stripes which reach to the inner chambers of the body.
