Proverbs 20

^aWine is a ^bmocker, strong drink is raging:

And whosoever ^cis deceived thereby is not wise.

²The fear of a king is ^das the roaring of a lion:

Whoso provoketh him to anger ^esinneth against his own soul.

³It is an honour for a man ^fto cease from strife:

But every fool ^fwill be meddling.

^4gThe sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold;

Therefore shall he ^hbeg in harvest, and ⁱhave nothing.

⁵Counsel in the heart of man is like ^ldeep water;

But a man of understanding will ^mdraw it out.

⁶ⁿMost men will proclaim every one his own goodness:

But a ^ofaithful man who can find?

⁷The just man ^pwalketh in his integrity:

^qHis children are blessed after him.

⁸A ^rking that sitteth in the throne of judgment

^rScattereth away all evil with his eyes.

^9sWho can say, I have made my heart ^tclean,

I am pure from my sin?

^10uDivers weights, and divers measures,

Both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.

¹¹Even a child is ^wknown by his doings,

Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

^12xThe hearing ear, and the seeing eye,

^yThe Lord hath made even both of them.

^13zLove not sleep, lest thou come to poverty;

^aOpen thine eyes, and thou shalt be ^bsatisfied with bread.

¹⁴It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer:

But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

^15cThere is gold, and a multitude of ^drubies:

But the lips of knowledge are a ^eprecious jewel.

^16fTake his garment that is surety for a stranger:

^fAnd ^gtake a pledge of him for a ^hstrange woman.

¹⁷Bread of deceit is sweet to a man;

But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with ⁱgravel.

^18kEvery purpose is established by counsel:

And with ^lgood advice ^mmake war.

¹⁹ⁿHe that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets:

Therefore meddle not with ^ohim that flattereth with his lips.

^20pWhoso curseth his father or his mother,

^qHis lamp shall be ^rput out in ^sobscure darkness.

^21tAn inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning;

But ^uthe end thereof shall not be blessed.

^22xSay not thou, I will recompense evil;

But ^ywait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.

^23zDivers weights are an abomination unto the Lord;

And a false balance is not good.

^24aMan’s goings are of the Lord;

How can a man then understand his own way?

²⁵It is a snare to the man who ^bdevoureth that which is holy,

And ^cafter vows to make inquiry.

²⁶A wise king ^dscattereth the wicked,

And bringeth ^ethe wheel over them.

^27fThe spirit of man is the candle of the Lord,

^gSearching all ^hthe inward parts of the belly.

²⁸ⁱMercy and truth preserve the king:

And ^khis throne is upholden by mercy.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength:

And ^lthe beauty of old men is the gray head.

^30mThe blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil:

ⁿSo do stripes ^hthe inward parts of the belly.

XXI.