Proverbs20

¹ Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

² The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.

³ It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.

⁴ The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.

⁵ The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

⁶ Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?

⁷ The righteous who walks in his integrity — blessed are his children after him!

⁸ A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes.

⁹ Who can say, I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin?

¹⁰ Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

¹¹ Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.

¹² The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.

¹³ Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.

¹⁴ Bad, bad, says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts.

¹⁵ There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

¹⁶ Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.

¹⁷ Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.

¹⁸ Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.

¹⁹ Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.

²⁰ If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

²¹ An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.

²² Do not say, I will repay evil; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

²³ Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord, and false scales are not good.

²⁴ A man’s 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 after making vows.

²⁶ A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them.

²⁷ The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.

²⁸ Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.

²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.

³⁰ Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.