(A)Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
    I am clean from my sin”?
10 (B)Unequal[a] weights and unequal measures
    are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
11 Even a child (C)makes himself known by his acts,
    by whether his conduct is pure and upright.[b]
12 (D)The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
    (E)the Lord has made them both.
13 (F)Love not sleep, lest you (G)come to poverty;
    open your eyes, and you will have (H)plenty of bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
    but when he goes away, then he boasts.
15 There is gold and abundance of (I)costly stones,
    (J)but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 (K)Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
    and (L)hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.[c]
17 (M)Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
    but afterward his mouth will be full of (N)gravel.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:10 Or Two kinds of; also verse 23
  2. Proverbs 20:11 Or Even a child can dissemble in his actions, though his conduct seems pure and upright
  3. Proverbs 20:16 Or for an adulteress (compare 27:13)

Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;(A)
    I am clean and without sin”?(B)

10 Differing weights and differing measures—
    the Lord detests them both.(C)

11 Even small children are known by their actions,
    so is their conduct really pure(D) and upright?

12 Ears that hear and eyes that see—
    the Lord has made them both.(E)

13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;(F)
    stay awake and you will have food to spare.

14 “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—
    then goes off and boasts about the purchase.

15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,
    but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

16 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
    hold it in pledge(G) if it is done for an outsider.(H)

17 Food gained by fraud tastes sweet,(I)
    but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.(J)

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