Proverbs 20
Lexham English Bible
20 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and any who go astray by it are not wise.
2 Roaring like the lion is the dreaded anger of a king;
he who provokes him forfeits his life.[a]
3 It is honorable for the man to refrain from strife,
but every fool will be quick to quarrel.
4 The lazy person will not plow in season;
he will expect at the harvest, but there will be nothing.
5 Deep waters are like purpose in the heart[b] of a man,
and a man of understanding will draw it[c] out.
6 Many a person will proclaim his loyalty for himself,
but a man who is trustworthy, who can find?
7 He who walks in his integrity is righteous;
happy are his children who follow him.
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment
winnows all evil with his eyes.
9 Who will say “I have made my heart[d] clean;
I am pure from my sin”?
10 Stone and stone, measure and measure,
both of them[e] are an abomination of Yahweh.
11 Even by his acts, a young man[f] will make himself known,
whether his acts are pure and upright.
12 The ear that hears and the eye that sees,
Yahweh has made them both.[g]
13 Do not love sleep, lest you become poor;
open your eyes and have plenty bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” the buyer will say,
but when one goes to him, then he will boast.
15 There is gold and many costly stones,
but precious jewels are lips of knowledge.
16 Take his garment, for he has given security to a stranger,
and on behalf of a foreigner—take it as pledge.
17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet for the man,
but afterward, his mouth will be filled with gravel.
18 A plan[h] will be established by advice,
and with guidance make war.
19 He reveals a secret, he who walks about with gossip,
and do not associate with a babbler’s lips.
20 He who curses his father and his mother,
his lamp will be extinguished in the midst of darkness.[i]
21 An inheritance acquired hastily at the beginning[j]
will not be blessed at its end.
22 Do not say “I will repay evil”;
wait for Yahweh and he will deliver you.
23 An abomination of Yahweh is a stone and a weight,[k]
and scales of falsehood are not good.
24 Away from Yahweh are the steps of a strong man,
and how will humankind understand his ways?
25 It is a snare to humankind to say rashly “It is holy,”
and after vows, to scrutinize.
26 A wise king winnows the wicked,
and he will drive a wheel over them.
27 The lamp of Yahweh is the spirit[l] of humankind,
he who searches every innermost part.[m]
28 Loyalty and faithfulness will preserve a king,
and he is upheld with the righteousness of his throne.
29 The glory of young men is their strength,[n]
but the beauty of the aged is gray hair.
30 The blows of a wound will cleanse evil,
as will[o] beatings of the innermost part.[p]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:2 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 20:5 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 20:5 Or “her”; referring to “purpose”
- Proverbs 20:9 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 20:10 Literally “also the two of them”
- Proverbs 20:11 Or “young boy,” or “adolescent”
- Proverbs 20:12 Literally “also the two of them”
- Proverbs 20:18 Hebrew “plans”
- Proverbs 20:20 Literally “in a pupil of darkness”
- Proverbs 20:21 Literally “at the first”
- Proverbs 20:23 Literally “a stone and a stone”
- Proverbs 20:27 Or “soul”
- Proverbs 20:27 Literally “parts of the inmost”
- Proverbs 20:29 Or “strengthens them”
- Proverbs 20:30 Hebrew “and”
- Proverbs 20:30 Literally “parts of the inmost”
Proverbs 20
English Standard Version
20 (A)Wine is a mocker, (B)strong drink a brawler,
and whoever (C)is led astray by it is not wise.[a]
2 The terror of a king is like (D)the growling of a lion;
whoever provokes him to anger (E)forfeits his life.
3 It is an honor for a man to (F)keep aloof from strife,
but every fool will be quarreling.
4 (G)The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
(H)he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
5 The purpose in a man's heart is like (I)deep water,
but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 Many a man (J)proclaims his own steadfast love,
but (K)a faithful man who can find?
7 The righteous who (L)walks in his integrity—
(M)blessed are his children after him!
8 (N)A king who sits on the throne of judgment
(O)winnows all evil with his eyes.
9 (P)Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
I am clean from my sin”?
10 (Q)Unequal[b] weights and unequal measures
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
11 Even a child (R)makes himself known by his acts,
by whether his conduct is pure and upright.[c]
12 (S)The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
(T)the Lord has made them both.
13 (U)Love not sleep, lest you (V)come to poverty;
open your eyes, and you will have (W)plenty of bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
but when he goes away, then he boasts.
15 There is gold and abundance of (X)costly stones,
(Y)but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 (Z)Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
and (AA)hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.[d]
17 (AB)Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
but afterward his mouth will be full of (AC)gravel.
18 (AD)Plans are established by counsel;
by (AE)wise guidance (AF)wage war.
19 Whoever (AG)goes about slandering reveals secrets;
therefore do not associate with (AH)a simple babbler.[e]
20 (AI)If one curses his father or his mother,
(AJ)his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
21 (AK)An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning
will not be blessed in the end.
22 Do not say, (AL)“I will repay evil”;
(AM)wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
23 (AN)Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord,
and (AO)false scales are not good.
24 A man's (AP)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 (AQ)after making vows.
26 A wise king (AR)winnows the wicked
and drives (AS)the wheel over them.
27 (AT)The spirit[f] of man is the lamp of the Lord,
(AU)searching all (AV)his innermost parts.
28 (AW)Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
and by steadfast love his (AX)throne is upheld.
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
but (AY)the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
30 (AZ)Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
strokes make clean (BA)the innermost parts.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:1 Or will not become wise
- Proverbs 20:10 Or Two kinds of; also verse 23
- Proverbs 20:11 Or Even a child can dissemble in his actions, though his conduct seems pure and upright
- Proverbs 20:16 Or for an adulteress (compare 27:13)
- Proverbs 20:19 Hebrew with one who is simple in his lips
- Proverbs 20:27 Hebrew breath
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
