Proverbs 20-23
New American Standard Bible
On Life and Conduct
20 (A)Wine is a mocker, (B)intoxicating drink a brawler,
And whoever [a]is intoxicated by it is not wise.
2 The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
One who provokes him to anger [b](C)forfeits his own life.
3 (D)Avoiding strife is an honor for a person,
But any fool will [c]quarrel.
4 The [d](E)lazy one does not plow after the autumn,
So he [e]begs during the harvest and has nothing.
5 A plan in the heart of a person is like deep water,
But a person of understanding draws it out.
6 Many a person (F)proclaims his own loyalty,
But who can find a (G)trustworthy person?
7 A righteous person who (H)walks in his integrity—
(I)How blessed are his sons after him.
8 (J)A king who sits on the throne of justice
[f]Disperses all evil with his eyes.
9 (K)Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart,
I am pure from my sin”?
10 [g](L)Differing weights and differing measures,
Both of them are abominable to the Lord.
11 It is by his deeds that a boy [h](M)distinguishes himself,
If his conduct is pure and right.
12 The hearing (N)ear and the seeing eye,
The Lord has made both of them.
13 (O)Do not love sleep, or you will become poor;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with [i]food.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
But when he goes his way, then he boasts.
15 There is gold, and an abundance of [j]jewels;
But lips of knowledge are a more precious thing.
16 Take his garment when he becomes guarantor for a stranger;
And for foreigners, seize a pledge from him.
17 (P)Bread obtained by a lie is sweet to a person,
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
18 Prepare (Q)plans by consultation,
And (R)make war by wise guidance.
19 One who (S)goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with [k](T)a gossip.
20 He who (U)curses his father or his mother,
His (V)lamp will go out in time of darkness.
21 An inheritance gained in a hurry at the beginning
Will not be blessed in the end.
22 (W)Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
(X)Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.
23 [l](Y)Differing weights are an abomination to the Lord,
And a [m](Z)false scale is not good.
24 (AA)A man’s steps are ordained by the Lord;
How then can a person understand his way?
25 It is a trap for a person to say carelessly, “It is holy!”
And (AB)after the vows to make inquiry.
26 A (AC)wise king scatters the wicked,
And [n]drives a (AD)threshing wheel over them.
27 The [o](AE)spirit of a person is the lamp of the Lord,
Searching all the [p]innermost parts of his being.
28 [q]Loyalty and (AF)truth watch over the king,
And he upholds his throne by [r]loyalty.
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
And the [s](AG)honor of old men is their gray hair.
30 (AH)Bruising wounds clean away evil,
And blows cleanse the [t]innermost parts.
On Life and Conduct
21 The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He (AI)turns it wherever He pleases.
2 (AJ)Every person’s way is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord (AK)examines the hearts.
3 To do (AL)righteousness and justice
Is preferred by the Lord more than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
The (AM)lamp of the wicked, is sin.
5 The plans of the (AN)diligent certainly lead to advantage,
But everyone (AO)who is in a hurry certainly comes to poverty.
6 The (AP)acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue
Is a fleeting vapor, the [u]pursuit of (AQ)death.
7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,
Because they (AR)refuse to act with justice.
8 The way of a guilty person is (AS)crooked,
But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.
9 It is better to live on a corner of a roof
Than [v]in a house shared with a contentious woman.
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His (AT)neighbor is shown no compassion in his eyes.
11 When the (AU)scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise;
But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
12 The [w]righteous one considers the house of the wicked,
Bringing the (AV)wicked to ruin.
13 One who (AW)shuts his ear to the outcry of the poor
Will also call out himself, and not be (AX)answered.
14 A (AY)gift in secret subdues anger,
And a bribe [x]in an inside pocket, strong wrath.
15 The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous,
But (AZ)terror to those who practice injustice.
16 A person who wanders from the way of understanding
Will (BA)rest in the assembly of the [y]dead.
17 One who (BB)loves pleasure will become a poor person;
One who loves wine and oil will not become rich.
18 The wicked is a (BC)ransom for the righteous,
And the (BD)treacherous is in the place of the upright.
19 (BE)It is better to live in a desert land
Than with a contentious and irritating woman.
20 There is precious (BF)treasure and oil in the home of the wise,
But a foolish person (BG)swallows it up.
21 One who (BH)pursues righteousness and loyalty
Finds life, righteousness, and honor.
22 A (BI)wise person scales the city of the mighty
And brings down the [z]stronghold in which they trust.
23 One who (BJ)guards his mouth and his tongue,
Guards his soul from troubles.
24 “Proud,” “Arrogant,” “(BK)Scoffer,” are his names,
One who acts with (BL)insolent pride.
25 The (BM)desire of the [aa]lazy one puts him to death,
For his hands refuse to work;
26 All day long he [ab]is craving,
While the righteous (BN)gives and does not hold back.
27 The (BO)sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,
How much more when he brings it with evil intent!
28 A (BP)false witness will perish,
But a person who listens will speak forever.
29 A wicked person [ac](BQ)displays a bold face,
But as for the (BR)upright, he makes his way sure.
30 There is (BS)no wisdom, no understanding,
And no [ad]plan against the Lord.
31 The (BT)horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But the (BU)victory belongs to the Lord.
On Life and Conduct
22 A (BV)good name is to be more desired than great wealth;
Favor is better than silver and gold.
2 The rich and the poor [ae]have a common bond,
The Lord is the (BW)Maker of them all.
3 A (BX)prudent person sees evil and hides himself,
But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.
4 The reward of humility and [af]the fear of the Lord
Are riches, honor, and life.
5 (BY)Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
One who guards himself will be far from them.
6 (BZ)Train up a child [ag]in the way he should go,
Even when he grows older he will not abandon it.
7 The (CA)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
8 One who (CB)sows injustice will reap disaster,
And the (CC)rod of his fury will perish.
9 One who [ah]is (CD)generous will be blessed,
Because he (CE)gives some of his food to the poor.
10 (CF)Drive out the scoffer, and strife will leave,
Even quarreling and dishonor will cease.
11 One who loves (CG)purity of heart
And [ai]whose speech is (CH)gracious, the king is his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord protect knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the treacherous person.
13 The [aj](CI)lazy one says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of [ak](CJ)an adulteress is a deep pit;
He who is (CK)cursed of the Lord will fall [al]into it.
15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The (CL)rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
16 One (CM)who oppresses the poor to make [am]more for himself,
Or gives to the rich, (CN)will only come to poverty.
17 (CO)Extend your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your mind to my knowledge;
18 For it will be (CP)pleasant if you keep them within you,
[an]So that they may be ready on your lips.
19 So that your (CQ)trust may be in the Lord,
I have [ao]taught you today, you indeed.
20 Have I not written to you [ap](CR)excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
21 To make you (CS)know the [aq]certainty of the words of truth,
So that you may [ar](CT)correctly answer him who sent you?
22 (CU)Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Nor (CV)crush the needy at the gate;
23 For the Lord will (CW)plead their case
And [as]take the life of those who rob them.
24 Do not make friends with a person given to anger,
Or go with a (CX)hot-tempered person,
25 Or you will (CY)learn his ways
And [at]find a snare for yourself.
26 Do not be among those who (CZ)shake hands,
Among those who become guarantors for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to repay,
Why should he (DA)take your bed from under you?
28 (DB)Do not move the ancient boundary
Which your fathers have set.
29 Do you see a person skilled in his work?
He will (DC)stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure people.
On Life and Conduct
23 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully [au]what is before you,
2 And put a knife to your throat
If you are a (DD)person of great appetite.
3 Do not (DE)desire his delicacies,
For it is deceptive food.
4 (DF)Do not weary yourself to gain wealth;
[av](DG)Stop dwelling on it.
5 [aw]When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.
For (DH)wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.
6 (DI)Do not eat the bread of [ax]a (DJ)selfish person;
Or desire his delicacies;
7 For as he [ay]thinks within himself, so he is.
He says to you, “Eat and drink!”
But (DK)his heart is not with you.
8 You will (DL)vomit up [az]the morsel you have eaten
And waste your [ba]compliments.
10 Do not move the ancient boundary
Or (DO)go into the fields of the fatherless,
11 For their (DP)Redeemer is strong;
(DQ)He will plead their case against you.
12 Apply your heart to discipline,
And your ears to words of knowledge.
13 (DR)Do not withhold discipline from a child;
Though you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
14 You shall strike him with the rod
And (DS)rescue his soul from Sheol.
15 My son, if your heart is (DT)wise,
My own heart also will be glad,
16 And my [bc]innermost being will rejoice
When your lips speak (DU)what is right.
17 (DV)Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But live in [bd]the (DW)fear of the Lord [be]always.
18 Certainly there is a [bf](DX)future,
And your (DY)hope will not be cut off.
19 Listen, my son, and (DZ)be wise,
And (EA)direct your heart in the way.
20 Do not be with (EB)heavy drinkers of wine,
Or with (EC)gluttonous eaters of meat;
21 For the (ED)heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And (EE)drowsiness will clothe one with rags.
22 (EF)Listen to your father, who fathered you,
And (EG)do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 (EH)Buy truth, and do not sell it,
Get wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And (EI)he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
25 Let your (EJ)father and your mother be glad,
And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.
26 (EK)Give me your heart, my son,
And let your eyes [bg](EL)delight in my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a (EM)deep pit,
And a [bh](EN)strange woman is a narrow well.
28 Certainly she (EO)lurks as a robber,
And increases the treacherous among mankind.
29 Who has (EP)woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has red eyes?
30 Those who (EQ)linger long over wine,
Those who go to [bi]taste (ER)mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
When it [bj]sparkles in the cup,
When it (ES)goes down smoothly;
32 In the end it (ET)bites like a snake
And stings like a (EU)viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things
And your [bk]mind will (EV)say perverse things.
34 And you will be like one who lies down in the [bl]middle of the sea,
Or like one who lies down on the top of a [bm]mast.
35 “They (EW)struck me, but I did not become [bn]ill;
They beat me, but I did not know it.
When will I awake?
I will (EX)seek [bo]another drink.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:1 Lit errs
- Proverbs 20:2 Lit sins against
- Proverbs 20:3 Lit burst out
- Proverbs 20:4 Lit idle
- Proverbs 20:4 Lit asks
- Proverbs 20:8 Or Sifts
- Proverbs 20:10 Lit A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah
- Proverbs 20:11 Or makes himself known
- Proverbs 20:13 Lit bread
- Proverbs 20:15 Or corals
- Proverbs 20:19 Lit one who opens his lips
- Proverbs 20:23 Lit A stone and a stone
- Proverbs 20:23 Lit balance of deceit
- Proverbs 20:26 Lit turns
- Proverbs 20:27 Lit breath
- Proverbs 20:27 Lit chambers of the body
- Proverbs 20:28 I.e., covenant loyalty
- Proverbs 20:28 I.e., covenant loyalty
- Proverbs 20:29 Or splendor
- Proverbs 20:30 Lit chambers of the body
- Proverbs 21:6 Lit seekers
- Proverbs 21:9 Lit with a woman of contentions and a house of association
- Proverbs 21:12 Or Righteous One
- Proverbs 21:14 Lit a fold in a robe; i.e., secretly
- Proverbs 21:16 Lit departed spirits
- Proverbs 21:22 Lit strength of trust
- Proverbs 21:25 Lit idle
- Proverbs 21:26 Lit desires desire
- Proverbs 21:29 Lit makes firm with his face
- Proverbs 21:30 Or advice
- Proverbs 22:2 Lit meet together
- Proverbs 22:4 Or reverence for
- Proverbs 22:6 Lit according to his way
- Proverbs 22:9 Lit has a good eye
- Proverbs 22:11 Lit has grace on his lips
- Proverbs 22:13 Lit idle
- Proverbs 22:14 Lit strange woman
- Proverbs 22:14 Lit there
- Proverbs 22:16 Lit much
- Proverbs 22:18 Lit They together
- Proverbs 22:19 Lit made you know
- Proverbs 22:20 Or previous
- Proverbs 22:21 Lit truth
- Proverbs 22:21 Lit return words of truth
- Proverbs 22:23 Lit rob the soul
- Proverbs 22:25 Lit take
- Proverbs 23:1 Or who
- Proverbs 23:4 Lit Refrain from your understanding of it
- Proverbs 23:5 Lit Will your eyes fly upon it and it is not?
- Proverbs 23:6 Lit an evil eye
- Proverbs 23:7 Lit reckons in his soul
- Proverbs 23:8 Lit your
- Proverbs 23:8 Lit pleasant words
- Proverbs 23:9 Lit in the ears of a
- Proverbs 23:16 Lit kidneys
- Proverbs 23:17 Or reverence for
- Proverbs 23:17 Lit all the day
- Proverbs 23:18 Lit latter end
- Proverbs 23:26 Another reading is observe
- Proverbs 23:27 Lit foreign
- Proverbs 23:30 Or search out
- Proverbs 23:31 Lit gives its eye
- Proverbs 23:33 Lit heart
- Proverbs 23:34 Lit heart
- Proverbs 23:34 Or lookout
- Proverbs 23:35 I.e., from the effect of wounds
- Proverbs 23:35 Lit it yet again
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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