Proverbs 20

American Standard Version

20 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler;
And whosoever ^[a]erreth thereby is not wise.
² The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion:
He that ^[b]provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own ^[c]life.
³ It is an honor for a man to ^[d]keep aloof from strife;
But every fool will be quarrelling.
⁴ The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter;
^[e]Therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.
⁵ Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water;
But a man of understanding will draw it out.
^6 [f]Most men will proclaim every one his own kindness;
But a faithful man who can find?
⁷ A righteous man that walketh in his integrity,
Blessed are his children after him.
⁸ A king that sitteth on the throne of judgment
^[g]Scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
⁹ Who can say, I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin?
^10 [h]Diverse weights, and diverse measures,
Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.
¹¹ Even a child maketh himself known by his doings,
Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
¹² The hearing ear, and the seeing eye,
Jehovah hath made even both of them.
¹³ Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty;
Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
¹⁴ It is bad, it is bad, saith the buyer;
But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
¹⁵ There is gold, and abundance of rubies;
But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
¹⁶ Take his garment that is surety for a stranger;
And ^[i]hold him in pledge that is surety for ^[j]foreigners.
¹⁷ Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man;
But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
¹⁸ Every purpose is established by counsel;
And by wise guidance make thou war.
¹⁹ He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets;
Therefore company not with him that openeth wide his lips.
²⁰ Whoso curseth his father or his mother,
His lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.
²¹ An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning;
But the end thereof shall not be blessed.
²² Say not thou, I will recompense evil:
Wait for Jehovah, and he will save thee.
²³ Diverse weights are an abomination to Jehovah;
And ^[k]a false balance is not good.
²⁴ A man’s goings are of Jehovah;
How then can man understand his way?
²⁵ It is a snare to a man ^[l]rashly to say, It is holy,
And after vows to make inquiry.
²⁶ A wise king winnoweth the wicked,
And bringeth the threshing-wheel over them.
²⁷ The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah,
Searching all his innermost parts.
²⁸ Kindness and truth preserve the king;
And ^[m]his throne is upholden by kindness.
²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength;
And the beauty of old men is the hoary head.
³⁰ Stripes that wound cleanse away evil;
And strokes reach the innermost parts.