Proverbs 20–21

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?

^10u†Divers 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.

^17†Bread 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.

21The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as ^athe rivers of water:

He ^bturneth it whithersoever he will.

^2cEvery way of a man is right in his own eyes:

But ^dthe Lord ^cpondereth the hearts.

^3eTo do justice and judgment

Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

^4f†An high look, and ^ga proud heart,

And ^||the ^hplowing of the wicked, is sin.

⁵The thoughts of ⁱthe diligent tend only to plenteousness;

But of every one that is ^khasty ^lonly to want.

^6mThe getting of treasures by a lying tongue

Is ⁿa vanity ^otossed to and fro of them ^pthat seek death.

⁷The robbery of the wicked shall ^†sdestroy them;

Because they refuse to do judgment.

⁸The way of man is froward and strange:

But as for the pure, his work is right.

^9tIt is better to dwell in a ^ucorner of the housetop,

^tThan with ^†a brawling woman in ^†a wide house.

^10yThe soul of the wicked desireth evil:

His neighbour ^†findeth no favour in his eyes.

^11zWhen the scorner is ^apunished, the simple is made wise:

And when the wise ^bis instructed, he receiveth knowledge.

¹²The righteous man ^bcwisely considereth the house of the wicked:

But ^dGod overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.

^13eWhoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor,

He also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

^14fA gift in secret pacifieth anger:

And a reward in ^gthe bosom strong wrath.

¹⁵It is joy to the just to do judgment:

^hBut destruction shall be to ⁱthe workers of iniquity.

¹⁶The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding

^jShall remain in the congregation of ^kthe dead.

¹⁷He that loveth ^||pleasure shall be a poor man:

He that loveth wine and ^loil shall not be rich.

^18mThe wicked shall be a ⁿransom for the righteous,

And the transgressor for the upright.

^19oIt is better to dwell ^†in the wilderness,

Than with a contentious and an angry woman.

^20pThere is treasure to be desired and ^lqoil in the dwelling of the wise;

But a foolish man ^rspendeth it up.

^21sHe that followeth after righteousness and mercy

^tFindeth life, righteousness, and honour.

^22uA wise man scaleth the city of the mighty,

And casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.

^23wWhoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue

^xKeepeth his soul ^yfrom troubles.

²⁴Proud and ^zhaughty scorner is his name,

Who dealeth ^†in proud wrath.

^25aThe desire of the slothful killeth him;

For his hands refuse to labour.

²⁶He ^bcoveteth greedily all the day long:

But ^cthe righteous giveth and spareth not.

^27dThe sacrifice of the wicked is abomination:

How much more, when he bringeth it ^†with a wicked mind?

^28†A false witness shall perish:

But the man that heareth speaketh ^econstantly.

²⁹A wicked man ^fhardeneth his face:

But as for the upright, he ^||gdirecteth his way.

^30hThere is no wisdom nor understanding

Nor counsel against the Lord.

³¹ⁱThe horse is prepared against the day of battle:

But ^||ksafety is of the Lord.