Proverbs 20

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁶Take 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 .

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

²⁴A man’s steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way ?

²⁵It is a snare to say rashly , It is holy , and to reflect only after making vows .

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

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

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

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

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