Proverbs 20:1-30
20 Wine is cynical, beer is noisy,and anyone who misconducts himself by it is unwise.
2 The terror of a king is a growl like a two-year-old lion’s;he who angers him sins against his own life.
3 It is an honor to a man to keep out of contention;but every know-nothing flies into rages.
4 An idler does not do his plowing in the fall,asks in harvesttime, and there is nothing there.
5 A purpose in a man’s heart is water deep down,but a man of intelligence draws it.
6 Plenty of men will each proclaim his friendship,but who will find a man to be trusted?
7 Who conscientiously walks an honest man’s course,happy his children after him!
8 A king sitting in the chair of judgmentwinnows with his eyes everything bad.
9 Who shall say “I have cleared my heart,I am clean from my sin”?
10 Two standards of weight, two standards of bushel,both are things Jehovah detests.
11 Even in his play a boy shows what he is,whether his doings are clean and straightforward.
12 Ear that hears and eye that sees,Jehovah made them both.
13 Do not love sleep, or you will come to poverty;open your eyes and have all the bread you can eat.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer;but he goes off, then he brags.
15 There is such a thing as gold and such a thing as plenty of coral,but a thing that is valuable is lips of knowledge.
16 Take his garment, because he went security for a stranger; foreclose him on foreigners’ account.
17 The bread of falsehood tastes fine to a man,but afterward his mouth gets full of gravel.
18 Ideas become effective by forethought;make war with competent generalship.
19 A tattler discloses confidences;do not be mixed up with a loose-tongued man.
20 Who curses his father and his mother,his lamp will go out into utter darkness.
21 An estate that was originally got in a rushwill not have its future blessed.
22 Do not say “I will pay back” a bad turn;set your hope on Jehovah and he will help you out.
23 Two standards of weight are a thing Jehovah detests,and cheating scales are not a good thing.
24 The places where a man sets his foot come from Jehovah;what does a human being understand of his course?
25 * It is a man-trap to say “Given to God” carelessly,or to do sorting out after vows.
26 * A wise king winnows wrong-doersand brings their villainy down on them.
27 Man’s breath is Jehovah’s lampsearching all recesses of the body.
28 * Friendliness and good faith safeguard a king,and he braces his throne by right dealing.
29 Young men’s magnificence is their strength;old men’s grandeur is white hair.
30 * A whipping that draws blood is a scouring off of viciousness, and lashes the brain-cells.
Footnotes
^ 20:25 Lit. say “Sacred” carelessly
^ 20:26 Codd. and runs a wheel back and forth over them
^ 20:28 Var. friendly dealing
^ 20:30 Lit. lashes the recesses of the body
