Proverbs 20

¹Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler.

Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

²The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion.

He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

³It is an honour for a man to keep aloof from strife,

but every fool will be quarrelling.

⁴The sluggard will not plough by reason of the winter;

therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.

⁵Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,

but a man of understanding will draw it out.

⁶Many men claim to be men of unfailing love,

but who can find a faithful man?

⁷A righteous man walks in integrity.

Blessed are his children after him.

⁸A king who sits on the throne of judgement

scatters away all evil with his eyes.

⁹Who can say, “I have made my heart pure.

I am clean and without sin?”

¹⁰Differing weights and differing measures,

both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.

¹¹Even a child makes himself known by his doings,

whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.

¹²The hearing ear, and the seeing eye,

The LORD has made even both of them.

¹³Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty.

Open your eyes, and you shall 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.

¹⁵There is gold and abundance of rubies,

but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.

¹⁶Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger;

and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman.

¹⁷Fraudulent food is sweet to a man,

but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.

¹⁸Plans are established by advice;

by wise guidance you wage war!

¹⁹He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets;

therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips.

²⁰Whoever curses his father or his mother,

his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.

²¹An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning

won’t be blessed in the end.

²²Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.”

Wait for the LORD, and he will save you.

²³The LORD detests differing weights,

and dishonest scales are not pleasing.

²⁴A man’s steps are from the LORD;

how then can man understand his way?

²⁵It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication,

then later to consider his vows.

²⁶A wise king winnows out the wicked,

and drives the threshing wheel over them.

²⁷The spirit of man is the LORD’s lamp,

searching all his innermost parts.

²⁸Love and faithfulness keep the king safe.

His throne is sustained by love.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength.

The splendour of old men is their grey hair.

³⁰Wounding blows cleanse away evil,

and beatings purge the innermost parts.