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 is raging: and whoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
2 The fear of a king [is] a growl as of a young lion, He who is causing him to be angry is wronging his soul.
The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own soul.
3 Cessation from strife is an honor to a man, And every fool interferes.
It is an honor for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
4 The slothful does not plow because of winter, He asks in harvest, and there is nothing.
The sluggard will not plow 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 draws it up.
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 A multitude of men each proclaim his kindness, And a man of steadfastness who finds?
Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
7 The righteous is habitually walking in his integrity, O the blessedness of his sons after him!
The just man walks in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
8 A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering all evil with his eyes,
A king that sits in the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.
9 Who says, “I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?”
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
10 A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to YHWH.
Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.
11 Even by his actions a youth makes himself known, Whether his work is pure or upright.
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
12 A hearing ear, and a seeing eye—YHWH has even made both of them.
The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD has made even both of them.
13 Do not love sleep, lest you become poor, Open your eyes—be satisfied [with] bread.
Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, And then he boasts himself going his way.
It is naught, it is naught, says the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.
15 Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Indeed, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 When a stranger has been guarantor, take his garment, And pledge it for strangers.
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
17 The bread of falsehood [is] sweet to a man, And afterward his mouth is filled [with] gravel.
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
18 You establish purposes by counsel, And with plans you make war.
Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
19 The busybody is a revealer of secret counsels, And do not make yourself guarantor for a deceiver [with] his lips.
He that goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flatters with his lips.
20 Whoever is vilifying his father and his mother, his lamp is extinguished in blackness of darkness.
Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
21 An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
22 Do not say, “I repay evil,” Wait for YHWH, and He delivers you.
Say not you, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save you.
23 A stone and a stone [are] an abomination to YHWH, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
Divers weights are an abomination to the LORD; and a false balance is not good.
24 The steps of a man [are] from YHWH, And man—how does he understand his way?
Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
25 A snare to a man [that] he has swallowed a holy thing, And to make inquiry after vows.
It is a snare to the man who devours that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
26 A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turns the wheel back on them.
A wise king scatters the wicked, and brings the wheel over them.
27 The breath of man [is] a lamp of YHWH, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
28 Kindness and truth keep a king, And he has supported his throne by kindness.
Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upheld by mercy.
29 The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is grey hairs.
The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.
30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil, Also the scourges of the inner parts of the heart!
The blueness of a wound cleans away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.
