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.
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
Pwovèb 20
Haitian Creole Version
20 ¶ Twòp bweson fè ou pase moun nan betiz. Twòp gwòg fè ou pete kabouyay, fè lòbèy. Lè ou sou, ou aji tankou moun fou.
2 ¶ Lè yon wa ankòlè, se tankou yon lyon k'ap gwonde. Moun ki mete l' ankòlè a, se pwòp tèt li l'ap fè mal.
3 ¶ Se bèl bagay lè yon moun evite diskisyon. Moun san konprann toujou ap chache kont.
4 ¶ Parese pa pare tè li lè pou l' te pare l', li di fè twò frèt. Lè rekòt rive, li pa jwenn anyen nan jaden l'.
5 ¶ Lide yon nonm gen nan tèt li, se tankou dlo nan yon pi byen fon. Men, yon moun lespri ka rale yo mete deyò.
6 ¶ Anpil moun ap mache di jan yo se moun serye. Men, ou pa fasil jwenn yon moun ou ka fè konfyans.
7 ¶ Lè yon papa se moun serye, li fè sa ki dwat. Sa bon nèt pou pitit li yo.
8 ¶ Lè yon wa chita sou fòtèy li, l'ap rann jistis, li wè sa ki mal ak sa ki byen.
9 ¶ Ki moun ki ka di: mwen lave konsyans mwen, mwen wete tout peche ki te sou li?
10 ¶ Seyè a pa ka sipòte moun k'ap sèvi ak de pwa de mezi.
11 ¶ Yon timoun moutre ou sa l'ap soti nan sa l'ap fè. Ou ka di si l'ap serye, si l'ap bon.
12 ¶ Se Seyè a ki ban nou je pou nou ka wè, se li menm ki ban nou zòrèy pou nou ka tande.
13 ¶ Pa renmen dòmi twòp pou ou pa vin pòv. Souke kò ou. W'a jwenn kont manje pou ou manje.
14 ¶ Lè moun ap machande, machandiz pa janm bon. Fini yo fin achte, y'ap mache di jan yo fè yon bon zafè.
15 ¶ Lè yon moun ki gen konprann ap pale sa gen plis valè pase kantite lò ak pyè ki koute chè.
16 ¶ Si yon moun sòt jouk pou li asepte bay pawòl li pou dèt yon etranje, se pou yo pran ata rad ki sou li jouk lòt la peye.
17 ¶ Lajan ou fè nan move kondisyon ka dous lè ou fèk genyen l'. Men, apre sa, se tankou ti wòch anba dan.
18 ¶ Pran konsèy, tou sa ou gen lide fè ap mache byen. Pa kouri fè lagè san ou pa konnen sa w'ap fè.
19 ¶ Bouch alèlè pa kenbe sekrè. Pa mele ak moun ki pale twòp.
20 ¶ Moun ki bay manman l' ak papa l' madichon p'ap viv lontan.
21 ¶ Richès ou ranmase fasil fasil p'ap janm vin yon benediksyon pou ou.
22 ¶ Pa janm di se ou ki pou vanje tèt ou. Mete konfyans ou nan Seyè a, l'a delivre ou.
23 ¶ Seyè a pa ka sipòte moun k'ap sèvi ak de pwa de mezi. Sa pa bon pou ou sèvi ak move balans.
24 ¶ Se Seyè a ki louvri chemen devan nou. Ki jan lèzòm ka rive konprann lavi?
25 ¶ Pa prese fè Bondye pwomès. Ou ka règrèt sa pita.
26 ¶ Yon wa ki gen bon konprann ap rive dekouvri tout mechan yo. L'ap san pitye lè l'ap pini yo.
27 ¶ Se Seyè a ki ban nou konsyans nou. Se tankou yon lanp k'ap klere pou fè nou wè tou sa n'ap fè.
28 ¶ Yon wa ap rete wa si li se nèg serye, si li toujou kenbe pawòl li. L'ap toujou wa si li pa nan patipri.
29 ¶ Se kouraj ki fè valè yon jenn gason. Men, pou granmoun, se cheve blan l' yo ki fè valè l'.
30 ¶ Move esperyans ka fè nou chanje. Malè ka fè nou vin gen bon santiman.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
