PROVERBS 20 y Wine is a mocker, z strong drink a brawler,
and whoever a is led astray by it is not wise. [1]
2[†] The terror of a king is like b the growling of a lion;
whoever provokes him to anger c forfeits his life.
3[†] It is an honor for a man to d keep aloof from strife,
but every fool will be quarreling.
4[†] e The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
f he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
5[†] The purpose in a man’s heart is like g deep water,
but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 Many a man h proclaims his own steadfast love,
but i a faithful man who can find?
7 The righteous who j walks in his integrity—
k blessed are his children after him!
8[^][†] l A king who sits on the throne of judgment
m winnows all evil with his eyes.
9 n Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
I am clean from my sin”?
10 o Unequal [2] weights and unequal measures
are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
11 Even a child p makes himself known by his acts,
by whether his conduct is pure and upright. [3]
12 q The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
r the LORD has made them both.
13[†] s Love not sleep, lest you t come to poverty;
open your eyes, and you will have u plenty of bread.
14[†] “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
but when he goes away, then he boasts.
15 There is gold and abundance of v costly stones,
w but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 x Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
and y hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners. [4]
17 z Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
but afterward his mouth will be full of a gravel.
18[†] b Plans are established by counsel;
by c wise guidance d wage war.
19 Whoever e goes about slandering reveals secrets;
therefore do not associate with f a simple babbler. [5]
20[†] g If one curses his father or his mother,
h his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
21 i An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning
will not be blessed in the end.
22[^][†] Do not say, j “I will repay evil”;
k wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
23 l Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD,
and m false scales are not good.
24 A man’s n steps are from the LORD;
how then can man understand his way?
25 It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”
and to reflect only o after making vows.
26[†] A wise king p winnows the wicked
and drives q the wheel over them.
27 r The spirit [6] of man is the lamp of the LORD,
s searching all t his innermost parts.
28[†] u Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
and by steadfast love his v throne is upheld.
29[†] The glory of young men is their strength,
but w the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
30 x Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
strokes make clean t the innermost parts.