Proverbs 20

¹ Wine is an intemperate thing, and strong drink full of violence:

but every fool is entangled with them.

² The threat of a king differeth not from the rage of a lion;

and he that provoketh him sinneth against his own soul.

³ It is a glory to a man to turn aside from railing;

but every fool is entangled with such matters.

⁴ A sluggard when reproached is not ashamed:

so also he who borroweth corn in harvest.

⁵ Counsel in a man’s heart is deep water;

but a prudent man will draw it out.

⁶ A man is valuable, and a merciful man precious:

but it is hard to find a faithful man.

⁷ He that walketh blameless in justice,

shall leave his children blessed.

⁸ Whenever a righteous king sitteth on the throne,

no evil thing can stand before his presence.

⁹ Who will boast that he hath a pure heart?

or who will boldly say that he is pure from sins?

^9a The lamp of him that revileth father or mother shall be put out,

and his eyeballs shall see darkness.

^9b A portion hastily gotten at first

shall not be blessed in the end.

^9c Say not, I will avenge myself on mine enemy;

but wait on the Lord, that he may help thee.

¹⁰ A large and small weight, and ^[1]diverse measures,

are even both of them unclean before the Lord;

and so is he that maketh them.

¹¹ A youth when in company with a godly man, will be restrained in his devices,

and then his way will be straight.

¹² The ear heareth, and the eye seeth:

even both of them are the Lord’s work.

¹³ Love not to speak ill, lest thou be cut off:

open thine eyes, and be filled with bread.

²³ A double weight is an abomination to the Lord;

and a deceitful balance is not good in his sight.

²⁴ A man’s goings are directed of the Lord:

how then can a mortal understand his ways?

²⁵ It is a snare to a man hastily to consecrate some of his own property:

for in that case repentance cometh after vowing.

²⁶ A wise king utterly crusheth the ungodly,

and will bring a wheel upon them.

²⁷ The ^[2]spirit of man is a light of the Lord,

who searcheth the inmost parts of the belly.

²⁸ Mercy and truth are a guard to a king,

and will surround his throne with righteousness.

²⁹ Wisdom is an ornament to young men;

and gray hairs are the glory of old men.

³⁰ Bruises and contusions befall bad men;

and plagues shall come into the inward parts of their belly.

Notes

20:10 diverse: Gr. double ↩
20:27 spirit of man: compare chapter 11:13 ↩