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Proverbs 20
Wycliffe Bible
Proverbs 20
Wycliffe Bible
20 Wine is a lecherous thing, and drunkenness is full of noise; whoever delighteth in these, shall not be wise.
2 As the roaring of a lion, so and the dread of a king (and so the king’s wrath); he that stirreth him to ire, sinneth against his (own) soul.
3 It is honour to a man that separateth himself from strivings; but fond men be meddled with despisings. (It is honourable for someone to separate himself from strife, or from arguments; but the foolish shall mix, or mingle, themselves in with arguments.)
4 A slow man would not ear for cold; therefore he shall beg in summer, and men shall not give to him. (A lazy person will not plow when it is cold; then at harvest time he shall beg, but others shall not give him anything.)
5 As deep water, so counsel is in the heart of a man; but a wise man shall draw it out. (Advice in a person’s heart can be like deep water/can be as deep as the water; but a wise person shall draw it out.)
6 Many men be called merciful; but who shall find a faithful man? (Many people be called, or be thought to be, merciful; but who shall truly find a faithful person?)
7 Forsooth a just man that goeth in his simpleness, shall leave blessed sons after him. (For a righteous person who goeth in his honesty, or in his integrity, shall leave blessed sons and daughters after him.)
8 A king that sitteth in the seat of doom, destroyeth all evil by his looking. (A king who sitteth on the seat of judgement, knoweth evil when he seeth it.)
9 Who may say, Mine heart is clean; I am clean of sin?
10 A weight, greater in buying, and a weight, less(er) in selling, a measure and a measure, ever either is abominable at God (these be abominable to God).
11 A child is understood by his studies (Even a child is known by his deeds), if his works be rightful and clean.
12 An ear hearing, and an eye seeing [The hearing ear, and the seeing eye], God made ever either (God made them both).
13 Do not thou love sleep, lest neediness oppress thee; open thine eyes, and be thou [ful]filled with loaves.
14 Each buyer saith, It is evil, it is evil; and when he hath gone away, then he shall have glory (but after he hath gone away, then he shall boast about it).
15 Gold, and the multitude of gems, and a precious vessel, be the lips of knowing (be the value of words of knowledge, or of wise words).
16 Take thou away the cloth of him that was (a) borrow of another man; and for strangers take thou away a wed from him. (Take thou the cloak of him who pledged for another person; and take thou a pledge from him for strangers.)
17 The bread of a leasing, that is, gotten by a leasing, is sweet to a man (Bread gotten by a lie, tasteth sweet to a person); and afterward his mouth shall be filled with reckoning [but afterward his mouth shall be filled with little pebble stones].
18 Thoughts be made strong by counsels; and battles shall be treated by governances. (Plans be made into successes by good advice; and battles be won by careful planning.)
19 Be thou not meddled with him that showeth privates, and goeth guilefully, and alargeth his lips. (Be thou not mixed in, or mingled, with him who telleth secrets, and goeth deceitfully, and flappeth his lips.)
20 The light of him that curseth his father and mother, shall be quenched in the midst of darknesses.
21 Heritage to which men hasteth (to get) in the beginning, shall want blessing in the last time. (An inheritance which someone hasteneth to get early, shall lack blessing in the end.)
22 Say thou not, I shall yield evil for evil; abide thou the Lord, and he shall deliver thee. (Say thou not, I shall give back evil for evil; wait thou for the Lord, and he shall save thee/and he shall rescue thee.)
23 Abomination with God is weight and weight; a guileful balance is not good. (An abomination with God is different weights; a deceitful scale is not good.)
24 The steps of man be (ad)dressed of the Lord; who forsooth of men may understand his way? (The steps of a person be directed by the Lord; for who can understand his own way?)
25 (A) Falling of man is to make (an) avow to (the) saints, and (then) afterward to withdraw the vows.
26 A wise king scattereth wicked men; and boweth a bow of victory, that is, a stone bow, over them.
27 The lantern of the Lord is the spirit of man, that seeketh out all the privates of the womb. (The spirit of people is the lantern of the Lord, and it seeketh out all our innermost secrets.)
28 Mercy and truth keep a king; and his throne is made strong by meekness. (Fairness and faithfulness, or loyalty, keep a king safe and secure; and his throne is made strong by humility, or by righteousness.)
29 The full out joying of young men is the strength of them; and the dignity of eld men is hoariness. (The rejoicing, or the glory, of young men is their strength; and the dignity of old men is their white, or gray, hair.)
30 The wanness of (a) wound shall wipe away evils, and (so do) wounds in the privier things of the womb. (Sometimes a deep, blue wound shall set someone straight, and sometimes so do wounds in the secret, or the innermost, places of the heart.)
Proverbs 20
New International Version
Proverbs 20
New International Version
2 A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion;(E)
those who anger him forfeit their lives.(F)
5 The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,(K)
but one who has insight draws them out.
6 Many claim to have unfailing love,
but a faithful person who can find?(L)
10 Differing weights and differing measures—
the Lord detests them both.(S)
11 Even small children are known by their actions,
so is their conduct really pure(T) and upright?
12 Ears that hear and eyes that see—
the Lord has made them both.(U)
13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;(V)
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(W) if it is done for an outsider.(X)
18 Plans are established by seeking advice;
so if you wage war, obtain guidance.(AA)
19 A gossip betrays a confidence;(AB)
so avoid anyone who talks too much.
20 If someone curses their father or mother,(AC)
their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.(AD)
21 An inheritance claimed too soon
will not be blessed at the end.
22 Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”(AE)
Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.(AF)
23 The Lord detests differing weights,
and dishonest scales do not please him.(AG)
24 A person’s steps are directed(AH) by the Lord.(AI)
How then can anyone understand their own way?(AJ)
25 It is a trap to dedicate something rashly
and only later to consider one’s vows.(AK)
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked;
he drives the threshing wheel over them.(AL)
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
gray hair the splendor of the old.(AQ)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:27 Or A person’s words are
Proverbs 20
King James Version
Proverbs 20
King James Version
20 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
10 Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.
11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
18 Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
21 An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.
23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.
24 Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?
25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
28 Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.
29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.
30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
2001 by Terence P. Noble
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.