Proverbs 20

Legacy Standard Bible

20 ^(A)Wine is a mocker, ^(B)strong drink a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
² The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion;
He who provokes him to anger ^(C)sins against his own soul.
³ It is a glory for a man to ^(D)cease quarreling,
But any ignorant fool will break out in dispute.
⁴ The ^(E)sluggard does not plow from winter on,
So he ^[a]begs during the harvest and has nothing.
⁵ Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water,
But a man of discernment draws it out.
⁶ Many a man will ^(F)call out his own lovingkindness,
But a ^(G)faithful man, who can find?
⁷ A righteous man 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
^[b]Disperses all evil with his eyes.
^9 (K)Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure,
I am clean from my sin”?
^10 [c](L)Differing weights and differing measures,
Both of them are an abomination to Yahweh.
¹¹ It is by his deeds that a young man ^(M)makes himself known
If his conduct is pure and right.
¹² The hearing ^(N)ear and the seeing eye,
Yahweh has made both of them.
^13 (O)Do not love sleep, lest you become poor;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with ^[d]food.
¹⁴ “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
But when he goes his way, then he boasts.
¹⁵ There is gold, and an abundance of pearls;
But the lips of knowledge are a more precious vessel.
¹⁶ Take his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger;
And for foreigners, hold him in pledge.
^17 (P)Bread obtained by lying is sweet to a man,
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
^18 [e](Q)Thoughts are established by counsel,
So ^(R)make war by guidance.
¹⁹ He who ^(S)goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
Therefore do not associate with ^[f](T)one of loose lips.
²⁰ He who ^(U)curses his father or his mother,
His ^(V)lamp will go out in the ^[g]midst of darkness.
²¹ An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning
In the end will not be blessed.
^22 (W)Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
^(X)Hope in Yahweh, and He will save you.
^23 [h](Y)Differing weights are an abomination to Yahweh,
And a ^(Z)deceitful balance is not good.
^24 (AA)The steps of a man are from Yahweh,
How then can man understand his way?
²⁵ It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!”
And ^(AB)after the vows to make inquiry.
²⁶ A ^(AC)wise king winnows the wicked,
And turns the ^(AD)threshing wheel over them.
²⁷ The ^[i](AE)breath of man is the lamp of Yahweh,
Searching all the ^[j]innermost parts of his body.
²⁸ Lovingkindness and ^(AF)truth will guard the king,
And he upholds his throne by lovingkindness.
²⁹ The honor of young men is their strength,
And the ^[k](AG)majesty of old men is their gray hair.
^30 (AH)Stripes that wound scour away evil,
And strokes reach the ^[l]innermost parts of the body.