Proverbs 20
1 Drinking a lot of wine or [other] strong drinks causes people to start fighting; it is foolish to become drunk/intoxicated.
Wine is a mocker and strong drinke is raging: and whosoeuer is deceiued thereby, is not wise.
2 Being afraid of a king when he is angry is like [SIM] being afraid of a lion when it growls/roars; if you cause the king to become angry, he may execute you.
The feare of the King is like the roaring of a lyon: hee that prouoketh him vnto anger, sinneth against his owne soule.
3 [People] respect those who stay away from disputes/arguments; foolish people [love to] quarrel.
It is a mans honour to cease from strife: but euery foole will be medling.
4 [If] a lazy man does not plow [his fields at the right/proper time], he will look for [crops] at harvest [time], but there will be nothing there.
The slouthfull will not plowe, because of winter: therefore shall he beg in sommer, but haue nothing.
5 [Just] as it is difficult to bring up water from a deep well, it is difficult to know what people are thinking, but someone who has good sense/insight will be able to find out what people are thinking.
The counsell in the heart of man is like deepe waters: but a man that hath vnderstanding, will drawe it out.
6 Many people proclaim that they can be trusted [to do what they say that they will do], but it is very difficult to find [RHQ] someone who can really be trusted.
Many men wil boast, euery one of his owne goodnes: but who can finde a faithfull man?
7 If parents conduct their lives as they should, [God] blesses their children (OR, their children are very happy/fortunate).
He that walketh in his integritie, is iust: and blessed shall his children be after him.
8 A king who sits on his throne to judge people can [easily] [MTY] find out what things that people have done are good and what things are evil.
A King that sitteth in the throne of iudgement, chaseth away all euill with his eyes.
9 There is no one [RHQ] who can truthfully say, “I do not know of any wrong things that I have done; I have (gotten rid of all my sinful behavior/quit doing what is sinful).”
Who can say, I haue made mine heart cleane, I am cleane from my sinne?
10 Yahweh detests people who use weights that are not right and measures that are not correct.
Diuers weightes, and diuers measures, both these are euen abomination vnto the Lord.
11 Even children show by what they do whether they are good or not; they show whether (what they do/their behavior) is honest and right [or not].
A childe also is knowen by his doings, whether his worke be pure and right.
12 Two of the things that Yahweh has created [for us] are ears to hear things and eyes to see things.
The Lord hath made both these, euen the eare to heare, and the eye to see.
13 If you want to sleep [all the time], you will become poor; if you stay awake [and work], you will have plenty of food.
Loue not sleepe least thou come vnto pouertie: open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
14 People [look at things that they are about] to buy, [and in order to get it for a lower price sometimes they] say, “(It is no good/It is poor quality),” but [after they buy it], they go and boast [about having bought it for a cheap price].
It is naught, it is naught, sayth the buyer: but when he is gone apart, he boasteth.
15 Gold and precious stones are [valuable], but wise words [MTY] are more valuable.
There is golde, and a multitude of precious stones: but the lips of knowledge are a precious iewel.
16 If you foolishly promise to a stranger that you will pay what he owes if he is unable to pay it [DOU], [you deserve to] have someone take your coat from you.
Take his garment, that is suretie for a stranger, and a pledge of him for the stranger.
17 People [may] think that food that they acquire by doing what is dishonest will taste very good, but later [they will not enjoy what they have done any more than they would enjoy] eating gravel/sand.
The bread of deceit is sweete to a man: but afterward his mouth shalbe filled with grauel.
18 When people give you good advice, [if you do what they suggest], your plans will succeed; so be sure to get good advice from wise people before you start fighting a war.
Establish the thoughtes by counsell: and by counsell make warre.
19 Those who go around telling gossip are [always] telling secrets to [others]; so stay away from people who foolishly talk [too much].
He that goeth about as a slanderer, discouereth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
20 If someone curses his father or his mother, his life will be ended, [just] like a lamp is extinguished.
He that curseth his father or his mother, his light shalbe put out in obscure darkenes.
21 If you very quickly take the property that your parents promise will be yours after they die, you will not receive any good/blessing from it.
An heritage is hastely gotten at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
22 Do not say, “I will do evil to those who do evil to me;” wait for Yahweh [to do something about it], and he will (help you/[do what is right]).
Say not thou, I wil recompense euill: but waite vpon the Lord, and he shall saue thee.
23 Yahweh detests [those who use] dishonest scales and weights that are not accurate/correct.
Diuers weightes are an abomination vnto the Lord, and deceitful balances are not good.
24 Yahweh is the one who has decided what will happen to us, so (how can we (understand/know) what will happen before it happens?/we humans certainly cannot (understand/know) what will happen before it happens.) [RHQ]
The steps of man are ruled by the Lord: how can a man then vnderstand his owne way?
25 You should think carefully before you solemnly promise to dedicate something to God, because later you might be sorry you have promised to do it.
It is a destruction for a man to deuoure that which is sanctified, and after the vowes to inquire.
26 Wise kings find out [MET] which people have done what is wrong, and they punish them very severely [IDM].
A wise King scattereth the wicked, and causeth the wheele to turne ouer them.
27 Our consciences are [like] lamps that Yahweh [has given to us to enable us to know what we are thinking] [MET]; they reveal what is hidden deep in our (minds/inner beings).
The light of the Lord is the breath of man, and searcheth all the bowels of the belly.
28 Kings will continue to rule as long as they faithfully love their people and are loyal to them and as long as they rule righteously/fairly.
Mercie and trueth preserue the King: for his throne shall be established with mercie.
29 We honor/admire young people because they are strong, but we respect [MTY] old people more because they are wise.
The beautie of yong men is their strength, and the glory of the aged is the gray head.
30 When we are beaten or whipped, it [can] cause us to quit doing what is evil in our lives; when someone wounds us [by punishing us], it [can] cause our behavior to become good.
The blewnes of the wound serueth to purge the euill, and the stripes within the bowels of the belly.
