Proverbs 20

1Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; And whosoever erreth thereby is not wise.

1Wine <FI>is<Fi> a scorner--strong drink <FI>is<Fi> noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.

2The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion: He that provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own life.

2The fear of a king <FI>is<Fi> a growl as of a young lion, He who is causing him to be wroth is wronging his soul.

3It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; But every fool will be quarrelling.

3An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.

4The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; Therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.

4Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.

5Counsel in the heart of man islikedeep water; But a man of understanding will draw it out.

5Counsel in the heart of a man <FI>is<Fi> deep water, And a man of understanding draweth it up.

6Most men will proclaim every one his own kindness; But a faithful man who can find?

6A multitude of men proclaim each his kindness, And a man of stedfastness who doth find?

7A righteous man that walketh in his integrity, Blessed are his children after him.

7The righteous is walking habitually in his integrity, O the happiness of his sons after him!

8A king that sitteth on the throne of judgment Scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

8A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering with his eyes all evil,

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

9Who saith, `I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?'

10Diverse weights, and diverse measures, Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.

10A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them <FI>are<Fi> an abomination to Jehovah.

11Even a child maketh himself known by his doings, Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

11Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.

12The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.

12A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.

13Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

13Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes--be satisfied <FI>with<Fi> bread.

14It is bad, it is bad, saith the buyer; But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

14`Bad, bad,' saith the buyer, And going his way then he boasteth himself.

15There is gold, and abundance of rubies; But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

15Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Yea, a precious vessel, <FI>are<Fi> lips of knowledge.

16Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge that is surety for foreigners.

16Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.

17Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

17Sweet to a man <FI>is<Fi> the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled <FI>with<Fi> gravel.

18Every purpose is established by counsel; And by wise guidance make thou war.

18Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.

19He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; Therefore company not with him that openeth wide his lips.

19A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver <FI>with<Fi> his lips make not thyself surety.

20Whoso curseth his father or his mother, His lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.

20Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.

21An inheritancemay be gotten hastily at the beginning; But the end thereof shall not be blessed.

21An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.

22Say not thou, I will recompense evil: Wait for Jehovah, and he will save thee.

22Do not say, `I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.

23Diverse weights are an abomination to Jehovah; And a false balance is not good.

23An abomination to Jehovah <FI>are<Fi> a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit <FI>are<Fi> not good.

24A man’s goings are of Jehovah; How then can man understand his way?

24From Jehovah <FI>are<Fi> the steps of a man, And man--how understandeth he his way?

25It is a snare to a man rashly to say, It is holy, And after vows to make inquiry.

25A snare to a man <FI>is<Fi> he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.

26A wise king winnoweth the wicked, And bringeth the threshing-wheel over them.

26A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.

27The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, Searching all his innermost parts.

27The breath of man <FI>is<Fi> a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.

28Kindness and truth preserve the king; And his throne is upholden by kindness.

28Kindness and truth keep a king, And he hath supported by kindness his throne.

29The glory of young men is their strength; And the beauty of old men is the hoary head.

29The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.

30Stripes that wound cleanse away evil; And strokesreachthe innermost parts.

30The bandages of a wound thou removest with the evil, Also the plagues of the inner parts of the heart!