Proverbs 20
20
1Wine ⌞makes people⌟ mock,
liquor ⌞makes them⌟ noisy,
and everyone under their influence is unwise.
2The rage of a king is like the roar of a lion.
Whoever makes him angry forfeits his life.
3Avoiding a quarrel is honorable.
After all, any stubborn fool can start a fight.
4A lazy person does not plow in the fall.#20:4 Fall was the start of the planting season in Palestine.
He looks for something in the harvest but finds nothing.
5A motive in the human heart is like deep water,
and a person who has understanding draws it out.
6Many people declare themselves loyal,
but who can find someone who is ⌞really⌟ trustworthy?
7A righteous person lives on the basis of his integrity.
Blessed are his children after he is gone.
8A king who sits on his throne to judge sifts out every evil with his eyes.
9Who can say,
“I’ve made my heart pure.
I’m cleansed from my sin”?
10A double standard of weights and measures—
both are disgusting to the Lord.
11Even a child makes himself known by his actions,
whether his deeds are pure or right.
12The ear that hears,
the eye that sees—
the Lord made them both.
13Do not love sleep or you will end up poor.
Keep your eyes open, and you will have plenty to eat.
14“Bad! Bad!” says the buyer.
Then, as he goes away, he brags ⌞about his bargain⌟.
15There are gold and plenty of jewels,
but the lips of knowledge are precious gems.
16Hold on to the garment of one who guarantees a stranger’s loan,
and hold responsible the person who makes a loan on behalf of a foreigner.
17Food gained dishonestly tastes sweet to a person,
but afterwards his mouth will be filled with gravel.
18Plans are confirmed by getting advice,
and with guidance one wages war.
19Whoever goes around as a gossip tells secrets.
Do not associate with a person whose mouth is always open.
20The lamp of the person who curses his father and mother
will be snuffed out in total darkness.#20:20 Or “snuffed out as darkness approaches.”
21An inheritance quickly obtained in the beginning
will never be blessed in the end.
22Do not say, “I’ll get even with you!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will save you.
23A double standard of weights is disgusting to the Lord,
and dishonest scales are no good.
24The Lord is the one who directs a person’s steps.
How then can anyone understand his own way?
25It is a trap for a person to say impulsively, “This is a holy offering!”
and later to have second thoughts about those vows.
26A wise king scatters the wicked
and then runs them over.
27A person’s soul is the Lord’s lamp.
It searches his entire innermost being.
28Mercy and truth protect a king,
and with mercy he maintains his throne.
29While the glory of young men is their strength,
the splendor of older people is their silver hair.
30Brutal beatings cleanse away wickedness.
Such beatings cleanse the innermost being.
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Proverbs 20: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 20
20
1Wine turns you into a mocker, alcohol makes you aggressive; you're stupid to be deceived#20:1. “Deceived”: or “intoxicated.” by drink.
2When a king gets terribly angry, he sounds like a roaring lion; anyone who makes him furious is liable to be killed.
3Avoiding conflict is the proper thing to do, but stupid people are quick to argue.
4Slackers don't sow when they should, so when harvest comes they don't have anything.
5Discovering what someone is planning in their mind is like looking at deep water, but a person who has understanding will find out.
6Many people tell you they're loyal, but can you find someone really trustworthy?
7Good people live honestly; how happy are their children if they follow them.
8When a king sits in judgment he recognizes all that isn't right.
9Who can claim, “I've made sure my conscience is clean; I've purified myself from sin”?
10The Lord hates both dishonest weights and dishonest measures.
11Even children reveal what they're like by what they do, whether their actions are good and right.
12The Lord made our ears to hear and our eyes to see.
13If you love sleeping you'll become poor. Wake up and get busy, and you'll have plenty to eat.
14“It's really rubbish,” says the one buying, but afterwards goes and boasts to others about making a good deal.
15There's gold and plenty of expensive gemstones, but talking sense is a more valuable jewel.
16If someone guarantees a stranger's debt with their cloak, be sure to take it! Make sure you have whatever is pledged to foreigners!
17Food you get by cheating may taste sweet, but afterwards it will be like a mouthful of gravel.
18With sound advice, plans are successful; if you're going to war, make sure you have good guidance.
19A gossip goes around revealing secrets; stay away from people who talk a lot.
20Anyone who curses their father or mother will have their light put out and end in utter darkness.
21Wealth gained too soon#20:21. “Gained too soon”: some manuscripts have “gained by greed” won't do you any good in the end.
22Don't say, “I'll get you back for doing me wrong.” Leave it to the Lord, and he'll help you.
23The Lord hates incorrect weights; using dishonest scales is wrong.
24The Lord shows us the way to go, so how would we decide for ourselves?
25It's a mistake to make a promise to God and then have second thoughts about it later.
26A wise king separates out the wicked by winnowing and punishes them by threshing.#20:26. This verse refers to activities associated with processing grain after harvest: winnowing and threshing, little known in the modern world.
27The Lord's light shines on the conscience, revealing our deepest thoughts.
28Trustworthy love and faithfulness keep a king safe; trustworthy love supports his rule.
29Young men value their strength, but the old value even more the wisdom that comes with gray hair.
30Wounds and blows clean away what's evil; beatings clean what's deep down inside.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com