Proverbs 20
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 20
1 Wine is arrogant, strong drink is riotous;
none who are intoxicated by them are wise.[a](A)
2 The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion;(B)
those who incur his anger forfeit their lives.
3 A person gains honor by avoiding strife,
while every fool starts a quarrel.[b]
4 In seedtime sluggards do not plow;
when they look for the harvest, it is not there.
5 The intention of the human heart is deep water,
but the intelligent draw it forth.[c](C)
6 Many say, “My loyal friend,”
but who can find someone worthy of trust?
7 The just walk in integrity;
happy are their children after them!
8 A king seated on the throne of judgment
dispels all evil with his glance.[d]
9 Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,(D)
I am cleansed of my sin”?[e]
10 Varying weights, varying measures,
are both an abomination to the Lord.(E)
11 In their actions even children can playact
though their deeds be blameless and right.[f]
12 The ear that hears, the eye that sees—
the Lord has made them both.[g]
13 Do not love sleep lest you be reduced to poverty;
keep your eyes open, have your fill of food.
14 “Bad, bad!” says the buyer,
then goes away only to boast.[h]
15 One can put on gold and abundant jewels,
but wise lips are the most precious ornament.[i]
16 Take the garment of the one who became surety for a stranger;(F)
if for foreigners, exact the pledge![j]
17 Bread earned by deceit is sweet,
but afterward the mouth is filled with gravel.
18 Plans made with advice succeed;
with wise direction wage your war.
19 A slanderer reveals secrets;
so have nothing to do with a babbler!
20 Those who curse father or mother—
their lamp will go out[k] in the dead of night.(G)
21 Possessions greedily guarded at the outset
will not be blessed in the end.[l]
22 Do not say, “I will repay evil!”
Wait for the Lord, who will help you.[m](H)
23 Varying weights are an abomination to the Lord,
and false scales are not good.(I)
24 Our steps are from the Lord;(J)
how, then, can mortals understand their way?[n]
25 It is a trap to pledge rashly a sacred gift,
and after a vow, then to reflect.[o]
26 A wise king winnows the wicked,
and threshes them under the cartwheel.[p]
27 A lamp from the Lord is human life-breath;
it searches through the inmost being.[q]
28 His steadfast loyalty safeguards the king,
and he upholds his throne by justice.(K)
29 The glory of the young is their strength,
and the dignity of the old is gray hair.(L)
30 Evil is cleansed away by bloody lashes,
and a scourging to the inmost being.
Footnotes
- 20:1 The cause stands for its effect (wine, drunken behavior). In Proverbs wine is a sign of prosperity and a symbol of feasting (3:10; 4:17; 9:2, 5) but also a potential threat to wisdom as in 20:1; 21:17; 23:29–35.
- 20:3 The honor that one might seek to gain from fighting comes of itself to the person who refrains from fighting.
- 20:5 The heart is where human plans are made and stored; they remain “deep water” until words reveal them to others. The wise know how to draw up those waters, i.e., express them. Cf. 18:4.
- 20:8 The royal throne is established in justice and the king is the agent of that justice.
- 20:9 A claim to sinlessness can be merely self-deception; see 16:2; cf. also 15:11.
- 20:11 The verb in colon A can mean either “to make oneself known” or “to play another person” (as in Gn 42:7 and 1 Kgs 14:5, 6). The second meaning makes a better parallel to colon B. The meaning is that if a child can playact, an adult can do so even more. Actions do not always reveal character.
- 20:12 Human judgments are not ultimate; the Lord expects proper use of these faculties.
- 20:14 Bartering invites playacting and masking one’s true intent. The truth of words depends on their context.
- 20:15 Wisdom is said to be preferable to gold in 3:14; 8:10, 19; 16:16. Colon B suggests that the gold and jewelry here are ornaments for the face (cf. Gn 24:53; Ex 3:22; Is 61:10). Wise lips are the most beautiful adornment, for they display the wisdom of the heart.
- 20:16 The text is not clear. See 27:13. Caution in becoming surety is always advised (cf. 6:1–3), and it is especially advisable with strangers.
- 20:20 Their lamp will go out: misfortune, even death, awaits them; cf. 13:9; Ex 21:17.
- 20:21 By definition, an inheritance is not gained by one’s own efforts but is received as a gift. If, when one first receives the inheritance, one drives everyone away, one treats it as if one acquired it by one’s own efforts. In an agricultural society, an inheritance would often be a field that would require God’s blessing to be fertile.
- 20:22 Appointing oneself an agent of divine retribution is dangerous. Better to wait for God to effect justice. Cf. 24:17–18.
- 20:24 An indication of the Lord’s inscrutable providence; cf. Jer 10:23; see Prv 21:2; cf. also 14:12.
- 20:25 This verse cautions against making vows without proper reflection; cf. Dt 23:22–25; Eccl 5:4–5.
- 20:26 The king is responsible for effecting justice. Judgment is portrayed in agricultural imagery—exposing grain to a current of air so that the chaff is blown away, and passing a wheel over the cereal to break the husk. Winnowing as image for judgment is found throughout the Bible.
- 20:27 A parallel is drawn between the life-breath that is God’s gift (Jb 32:8; 33:2) coursing through the human body (Is 2:22) and the lamp of God, which can be a symbol of divine scrutiny. In Zep 1:12, God declares, “And in that day I will search through Jerusalem with lamps.”
箴言 20
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
20 酒使人放肆，烈酒叫人吵闹。
因酒误事，实为不智。
2 君王震怒如狮子咆哮，
触怒他的人自寻死路。
3 避免纷争是光荣，
愚人个个爱争吵。
4 懒惰人不按时耕种，
收获时必一无所得。
5 人心的谋略如深水，
唯有哲士才能汲取。
6 人都声称自己忠诚，
但谁能找到忠信者？
7 义人行为正直，
他的后代也蒙福。
8 王坐在宝座上审判，
他的眼目明察罪恶。
9 谁敢说：“我心灵洁净，纯洁无罪？”
10 缺斤少两、尺寸不足，
都为耶和华所憎恶。
11 孩童的举动是否纯良，
都显明他的本性。
12 能听的耳，能看的眼，
两者都为耶和华所造。
13 不要贪睡，免得贫穷；
勤劳工作，粮食丰足。
14 买主总说货物不好，
买走后又连连自夸。
15 智慧之言胜过黄金和许多珠宝。
16 谁为陌生人作保，就拿去谁的外衣；
谁为外族人作保，就要承担责任。
17 骗来的饼觉得香甜，
最后却是满口泥沙。
18 集思出良策，
征战靠智谋。
19 嚼舌的人泄露秘密，
不可结交多嘴的人。
20 咒骂父母的人，
他的生命[a]必消逝在黑暗中。
21 早年轻易得来之财，
最终不会成为祝福。
22 不要说：“我要以恶报恶”，
要等候耶和华替你申冤。
23 耶和华憎恶缺斤少两，
祂厌恶骗人的天平。
24 人的脚步由耶和华所定，
人怎能知道自己的道路？
25 人向主许愿要三思，
免得事后作茧自缚。
26 明君必筛出恶人，
用石磙碾轧他们。
27 心灵是耶和华的灯，
鉴察人的肺腑心肠。
28 君王靠慈爱和忠信护佑，
他的王位因慈爱而稳固。
29 力量是青年的荣耀，
白发是老人的尊荣。
30 鞭伤能驱除罪恶，
责打能洁净人心。
Footnotes
- 20:20 “生命”希伯来文是“灯”。
Proverbs 20
Evangelical Heritage Version
More Dealing With Fools
20 Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler.
Whoever is intoxicated by them is not wise.
2 The king’s rage is like a lion’s growl.
Whoever intrudes on him endangers his life.
3 Avoiding strife brings honor to a man,
but every stubborn fool is always fighting.
4 A lazy person fails to plow when it is the season for planting.[a]
He expects something in the harvest, but nothing will be there.
5 The intentions in a person’s heart are deep water,
but a person with understanding can draw them out.
6 Many people claim to be loyal,[b]
but who can find a trustworthy man?
7 A righteous person walks in his integrity.
How blessed are his children after him!
8 When a king sits on his throne as judge,
he winnows out all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, “I have purified my heart.
I am cleansed from my sinfulness”?
10 Differing weights and differing measures—
both of them are disgusting to the Lord.
11 Even a youth makes himself known by his acts,
by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
12 An ear that hears and an eye that sees—
the Lord has made both of them.
13 Do not love sleep, or you will become poor.
Keep your eyes open, and you will have enough to eat.
14 “It’s no good! It’s no good!” says the buyer,
but then he goes away and brags.
15 There is gold, and there are many gems,[c]
but lips that have knowledge are a precious vessel.
16 Take the garment from someone who guarantees a loan for a stranger.
Hold on to it when he offers it as collateral for a foreigner.
17 Food gained dishonestly tastes sweet to a person,
but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
18 Plans are strengthened by obtaining advice,
so do not wage war without consultation.
19 A person who goes around spreading gossip reveals secrets,
so do not associate with anyone whose lips are always open.
20 The person who curses his father and his mother—
his lamp will be snuffed out in total darkness.
21 An inheritance easily obtained[d] in the beginning
will not be blessed in the end.
22 Do not say, “I’ll get even with you!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will rescue you.
23 Differing weights are disgusting[e] to the Lord,
and dishonest scales are not good.
24 The steps a man takes come from the Lord,
so how can anyone understand his own way?
25 A person falls into a trap if he pledges something to God impulsively
and considers his pledge only later.
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked.
He rolls the threshing wheel over them.
27 A man’s spirit is the lamp of the Lord.
It illuminates the depths of his heart.
28 Mercy and truth protect a king,
and he maintains his throne with mercy.
29 The splendor of young men is their strength,
but the majesty of old men is their gray hair.
30 Wounds and bruises scrub away evil,
and a beating scrubs the depths of the heart.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:4 Literally at the start of the rainy season
- Proverbs 20:6 The word translated loyal often means merciful. The line is difficult.
- Proverbs 20:15 The identity of these gems is uncertain. Rubies and red coral are among the suggestions.
- Proverbs 20:21 The translation easily obtained is an alternate Hebrew reading. The main Hebrew reading is gotten by greed.
- Proverbs 20:23 Or repulsive or an abomination
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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