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