Proverbs 20
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Proverbs 20
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| Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; And whosoever erreth thereby is not wise. | Wine makes men foolish, and strong drink makes men come to blows; and whoever comes into error through these is not wise. |
| The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion: He that provoketh him to anger sinneth [against] his own life. | The wrath of a king is like the loud cry of a lion: he who makes him angry does wrong against himself. |
| It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; But every fool will be quarrelling. | It is an honour for a man to keep from fighting, but the foolish are ever at war. |
| The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; Therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing. | The hater of work will not do his ploughing because of the winter; so at the time of grain-cutting he will be requesting food and will get nothing. |
| Counsel in the heart of man is [like] deep water; But a man of understanding will draw it out. | The purpose in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of good sense will get it out. |
| Most men will proclaim every one his own kindness; But a faithful man who can find? | Most men make no secret of their kind acts: but where is a man of good faith to be seen? |
| A righteous man that walketh in his integrity, Blessed are his children after him. | An upright man goes on in his righteousness: happy are his children after him! |
| A king that sitteth on the throne of judgment Scattereth away all evil with his eyes. | A king on the seat of judging puts to flight all evil with his eyes. |
| Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? | Who is able to say, I have made my heart clean, I am free from my sin? |
| Diverse weights, and diverse measures, Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah. | Unequal weights and unequal measures, they are all disgusting to the Lord. |
| Even a child maketh himself known by his doings, Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. | Even a child may be judged by his doings, if his work is free from sin and if it is right. |
| The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them. | The hearing ear and the seeing eye are equally the Lord's work. |
| Love not sleep, let thou come to poverty; Open thine eyes, [and] thou shalt be satisfied with bread. | Do not be a lover of sleep, or you will become poor: keep your eyes open, and you will have bread enough. |
| It is bad, it is bad, saith the buyer; But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. | A poor thing, a poor thing, says he who is giving money for goods: but when he has gone on his way, then he makes clear his pride in what he has got. |
| There is gold, and abundance of rubies; But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. | There is gold and a store of corals: but the lips of knowledge are a jewel of great price. |
| Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge [that is surety] for foreigners. | Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men. |
| Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. | Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but after, his mouth will be full of sand. |
| Every purpose is established by counsel; And by wise guidance make thou war. | Every purpose is put into effect by wise help: and by wise guiding make war. |
| He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; Therefore company not with him that openeth wide his lips. | He who goes about talking of the business of others gives away secrets: so have nothing to do with him whose lips are open wide. |
| Whoso curseth his father or his mother, His lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness. | If anyone puts a curse on his father or his mother, his light will be put out in the blackest night. |
| An inheritance [may be] gotten hastily at the beginning; But the end thereof shall not be blessed. | A heritage may be got quickly at first, but the end of it will not be a blessing. |
| Say not thou, I will recompense evil: Wait for Jehovah, and he will save thee. | Do not say, I will give punishment for evil: go on waiting for the Lord, and he will be your saviour. |
| Diverse weights are an abomination to Jehovah; And a false balance is not good. | Unequal weights are disgusting to the Lord, and false scales are not good. |
| A man's goings are of Jehovah; How then can man understand his way? | A man's steps are of the Lord; how then may a man have knowledge of his way? |
| It is a snare to a man rashly to say, [It is] holy, And after vows to make inquiry. | It is a danger to a man to say without thought, It is holy, and, after taking his oaths, to be questioning if it is necessary to keep them. |
| A wise king winnoweth the wicked, And bringeth the [threshing] -wheel over them. | A wise king puts evil-doers to flight, and makes their evil-doing come back on them. |
| The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, Searching all his innermost parts. | The Lord keeps watch over the spirit of man, searching all the deepest parts of the body. |
| Kindness and truth preserve the king; And his throne is upholden by kindness. | Mercy and good faith keep the king safe, and the seat of his power is based on upright acts. |
| The glory of young men is their strength; And the beauty of old men is the hoary head. | The glory of young men is their strength, and the honour of old men is their grey hairs. |
| Stripes that wound cleanse away evil; And strokes [reach] the innermost parts. | By the wounds of the rod evil is taken away, and blows make clean the deepest parts of the body. |
