Mishle 20  Orthodox Jewish Bible

20 The yayin is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; and whosoever is seduced to be led astray thereby is not wise.

² The wrath of a melech is as the roaring of a lion; he who provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own nefesh.

³ It is kavod for an ish to cease from strife, but any fool can start a quarrel.

⁴ The atzel (sluggard, lazy one) will not plow by reason of choref (winter, cold); therefore shall he beg at katzir (harvest), and have nothing.

⁵ Etzah (purpose; see Yn 2:24-25 ) in the lev ish is like deep mayim, but an ish tevunah will draw it out.

⁶ Rav adam will proclaim every one his own chesed, but an ish emunim (faithful man, loyal man) who can find one?

⁷ The tzaddik walketh in his tohm (integrity, guilelessness); his banim after him are blessed.

⁸ A melech that sitteth in the kisse din (throne of judgment) winnows out all rah with his eynayim.

⁹ Who can say, I have made my lev pure, I am tahor from my chattat?

¹⁰ Differing weights, and differing measures, both of them are alike to’evah to Hashem.

¹¹ Even a na’ar (child) is known by his ways, whether his conduct be pure, and whether it be yashar (right).

¹² The hearing ozen, and the seeing ayin, Hashem hath made even both of them.

¹³ Love not sheynah (sleep), lest thou come to poverty; open thine eynayim, and thou shalt have enough lechem.

¹⁴ It is good for nothing, it is naught, saith the koneh (buyer), but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

¹⁵ There is zahav, and a multitude of rubies, but the sfatayim (lips) of da’as are a precious jewel.

¹⁶ Take his garment that is guaranty for a zar (stranger), and hold it as his pledge for a nokhriyah (foreign woman, strange woman, seductress).

¹⁷ Lechem from sheker (deceit) is sweet to an ish, but afterwards his peh (mouth) shall be filled with gravel.

¹⁸ Every plan is established by etzah, and with tachbulot (guidance) wage milchamah.

¹⁹ He that goeth about as a rakhil (gossip, slanderer, talebearer) revealeth secrets; therefore associate not with the babbler.

²⁰ He who curseth aviv or immo, his ner (lamp) shall be put out in deep choshech.

²¹ A nachalah (inheritance) may be gotten hastily at the rishonah (beginning); but the acharit (latter end) thereof shall not have a bracha.

²² Say not thou, I will pay back rah; but wait on Hashem, and He shall save thee.

²³ Differing weights are a to’evah unto Hashem, and scales of mirmah (deceit) are not tov.

²⁴ The steps of a gever are from Hashem; how can an adam then understand his own derech (way, life’s course)?

²⁵ It is a mokesh adam to devote rashly as kodesh, and after nedarim (vows) to reconsider his consecration.

²⁶ A melech chacham winnows out the resha’im and bringeth the ofan (threshing wheel) over them.

²⁷ The neshamah of adam is the ner (light) of Hashem, searching all the innermost beten.

²⁸ Chesed and emes guard the Melech, and his kisse is upheld by chesed.

²⁹ The tiferet (glory) of bochurim is their ko’ach (strength), and the hadar (splendor) of zekenim is the silvery head.

³⁰ Blows that wound cleanseth away rah; so do beatings the innermost beten.