Proverbs 20–21

20^yWine is a mocker, ^zstrong drink a brawler,

and whoever ^ais led astray by it is not wise.¹

²The terror of a king is like ^bthe growling of a lion;

whoever provokes him to anger ^cforfeits his life.

³It is an honor for a man to ^dkeep aloof from strife,

but every fool will be quarreling.

^4eThe sluggard does not plow in the autumn;

^fhe will seek at harvest and have nothing.

⁵The purpose in a man’s heart is like ^gdeep water,

but a man of understanding will draw it out.

⁶Many a man ^hproclaims his own steadfast love,

but ⁱa faithful man who can find?

⁷The righteous who ^jwalks in his integrity—

^kblessed are his children after him!

^8lA king who sits on the throne of judgment

^mwinnows all evil with his eyes.

⁹ⁿWho can say, “I have made my heart pure;

I am clean from my sin”?

^10oUnequal² weights and unequal measures

are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

¹¹Even a child ^pmakes himself known by his acts,

by whether his conduct is pure and upright.³

^12qThe hearing ear and the seeing eye,

^rthe Lord has made them both.

^13sLove not sleep, lest you ^tcome to poverty;

open your eyes, and you will have ^uplenty of bread.

¹⁴“Bad, bad,” says the buyer,

but when he goes away, then he boasts.

¹⁵There is gold and abundance of ^vcostly stones,

^wbut the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

^16xTake a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,

and ^yhold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.⁴

^17zBread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,

but afterward his mouth will be full of ^agravel.

^18bPlans are established by counsel;

by ^cwise guidance ^dwage war.

¹⁹Whoever ^egoes about slandering reveals secrets;

therefore do not associate with ^fa simple babbler.⁵

^20gIf one curses his father or his mother,

^hhis lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

²¹ⁱAn inheritance gained hastily in the beginning

will not be blessed in the end.

²²Do not say, ^j“I will repay evil”;

^kwait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

^23lUnequal weights are an abomination to the Lord,

and ^mfalse scales are not good.

²⁴A man’s ⁿsteps are from the Lord;

how then can man understand his way?

²⁵It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”

and to reflect only ^oafter making vows.

²⁶A wise king ^pwinnows the wicked

and drives ^qthe wheel over them.

^27rThe spirit⁶ of man is the lamp of the Lord,

^ssearching all ^this innermost parts.

^28uSteadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,

and by steadfast love his ^vthrone is upheld.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength,

but ^wthe splendor of old men is their gray hair.

^30xBlows that wound cleanse away evil;

strokes make clean ^tthe innermost parts.

21The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;

he ^yturns it wherever he will.

^2zEvery way of a man is right in his own eyes,

but the Lord ^aweighs the heart.

^3bTo do righteousness and justice

is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

^4cHaughty eyes and a proud heart,

^dthe lamp¹ of the wicked, are sin.

⁵The plans of ^ethe diligent lead surely to abundance,

but everyone who is ^fhasty comes ^gonly to poverty.

^6hThe getting of treasures by a lying tongue

is a ⁱfleeting ^jvapor and a ^ksnare of death.²

⁷The violence of the wicked will ^lsweep them away,

because they refuse to do what is just.

⁸The way of the guilty ^mis crooked,

but the conduct of the pure is upright.

⁹It is ⁿbetter to live in a corner of the housetop

than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked desires evil;

his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.

¹¹When ^oa scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;

when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.

¹²The Righteous One ^pobserves the house of the wicked;

he throws the wicked down to ruin.

^13qWhoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor

will himself call out and not be answered.

^14rA gift in secret averts anger,

and a concealed bribe,³ strong wrath.

¹⁵When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous

^sbut terror to evildoers.

¹⁶One who wanders from the way of good sense

^twill rest in the assembly of the dead.

¹⁷Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;

he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

^18uThe wicked is a ^vransom for the righteous,

and the traitor for the upright.

¹⁹It is ^wbetter to live in a desert land

than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.

^20xPrecious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling,

but a foolish man ^ydevours it.

²¹Whoever ^zpursues righteousness and kindness

will find ^alife, righteousness, and honor.

^22bA wise man scales the city of the mighty

and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.

^23cWhoever keeps his mouth and his tongue

^dkeeps himself out of ^etrouble.

^24f“Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man

who acts with arrogant pride.

²⁵The desire of ^gthe sluggard kills him,

for his hands refuse to labor.

²⁶All day long he craves and craves,

but the righteous ^hgives and does not hold back.

²⁷ⁱThe sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;

how much more ^jwhen he brings it with evil intent.

^28kA false witness will perish,

but the word of a man who hears will endure.

²⁹A wicked man puts on a bold face,

but the upright ^lgives thought to⁴ his ways.

^30mNo wisdom, no understanding, no counsel

can avail against the Lord.

³¹ⁿThe horse is made ready for the day of battle,

but ^othe victory belongs to the Lord.