Proverbs 20–21

CHAPTER 20

Hope in Yahweh and He Will Save You

^1aWine is a mocker, ^bstrong drink a brawler,

And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

²The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion;

He who provokes him to anger ^asins against his own soul.

³It is a glory for a man to ^acease quarreling,

But any ignorant fool will break out in dispute.

⁴The ^asluggard does not plow from winter on,

So he ¹begs during the harvest and has nothing.

⁵Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water,

But a man of discernment draws it out.

⁶Many a man will ^acall out his own lovingkindness,

But a ^bfaithful man, who can find?

⁷A righteous man who ^awalks in his integrity—

^bHow blessed are his sons after him.

^8aA king who sits on the throne of justice

¹Disperses all evil with his eyes.

^9aWho can say, “I have kept my heart pure,

I am clean from my sin”?

^101aDiffering weights and differing measures,

Both of them are an abomination to Yahweh.

¹¹It is by his deeds that a young man ^amakes himself known

If his conduct is pure and right.

¹²The hearing ^aear and the seeing eye,

Yahweh has made both of them.

^13aDo not love sleep, lest you become poor;

Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with ¹food.

¹⁴“Bad, bad,” says the buyer,

But when he goes his way, then he boasts.

¹⁵There is gold, and an abundance of pearls;

But the lips of knowledge are a more precious vessel.

¹⁶Take his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger;

And for foreigners, hold him in pledge.

^17aBread obtained by lying is sweet to a man,

But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

^181aThoughts are established by counsel,

So ^bmake war by guidance.

¹⁹He who ^agoes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,

Therefore do not associate with ^1bone of loose lips.

²⁰He who ^acurses his father or his mother,

His ^blamp will go out in the ¹midst of darkness.

²¹An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning

In the end will not be blessed.

^22aDo not say, “I will repay evil”;

^bHope in Yahweh, and He will save you.

^231aDiffering weights are an abomination to Yahweh,

And a ^bdeceitful balance is not good.

^24aThe steps of a man are from Yahweh,

How then can man understand his way?

²⁵It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!”

And ^aafter the vows to make inquiry.

²⁶A ^awise king winnows the wicked,

And turns the ^bthreshing wheel over them.

²⁷The ^1abreath of man is the lamp of Yahweh,

Searching all the ²innermost parts of his body.

²⁸Lovingkindness and ^atruth will guard the king,

And he upholds his throne by lovingkindness.

²⁹The honor of young men is their strength,

And the ^1amajesty of old men is their gray hair.

^30aStripes that wound scour away evil,

And strokes reach the ¹innermost parts of the body.

CHAPTER 21

Salvation Belongs to Yahweh

¹The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of Yahweh;

He ^aturns it wherever He pleases.

^2aEvery man’s way is right in his own eyes,

But Yahweh ^bweighs the hearts.

³To do ^arighteousness and justice

Is chosen by Yahweh over sacrifice.

⁴Haughty eyes and a proud heart—

The ^afallow ground of the wicked—are sin.

⁵The ¹thoughts of the ^adiligent lead surely to profit,

But everyone ^bwho is hasty comes surely to poverty.

^6aWorking for treasures by a lying tongue

Is a fleeting breath, by those who pursue ^bdeath.

⁷The destruction of the wicked will drag them away,

Because they ^arefuse to do justice.

⁸The way of a guilty man is ^aperverse,

But as for the pure, his work is upright.

⁹It is better to live in a corner of a roof

Than ¹in a house shared with a contentious woman.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked craves evil;

His ^aneighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

¹¹When the ^ascoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;

And when one considers wisdom, he receives knowledge.

¹²The righteous one considers the house of the wicked,

Turning the ^awicked to ruin.

¹³He who ^ashuts his ear to the outcry of the poor

Will himself also call and not be ^banswered.

¹⁴A ^agift in secret subdues anger,

And a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.

¹⁵To do justice is ¹pleasure for the righteous,

But is ^aruin to the workers of iniquity.

¹⁶A man who wanders from the way of insight

Will ^arest in the assembly of the ¹dead.

¹⁷He who ^aloves ¹pleasure will become a poor man;

He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.

¹⁸The wicked is a ^aransom for the righteous,

And the ^btreacherous is in the place of the upright.

^19aIt is better to live in a desert land

Than with a contentious and vexing woman.

²⁰There is desirable ^atreasure and oil in the abode of the wise,

But a foolish man ^bswallows it up.

²¹He who ^apursues righteousness and lovingkindness

Finds life, righteousness, and glory.

²²A ^awise man goes up to the city of the mighty

And brings down the ¹stronghold in which they trust.

²³He who ^akeeps his mouth and his tongue,

Keeps his soul from troubles.

²⁴“Arrogant,” “Haughty,” “^aScoffer,” are his names,

Who acts with ^barrogant fury.

²⁵The ^adesire of the sluggard puts him to death,

For his hands refuse to work;

²⁶All day long he ¹is insatiably craving,

While the righteous ^agives and does not hold back.

²⁷The ^asacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,

How much more when he brings it with a wicked scheme!

²⁸A ^afalse witness will perish,

But the man who listens will speak forever.

²⁹A wicked man ^1adisplays a brazen face,

But as for the ^bupright, he establishes his way.

³⁰There is ^ano wisdom, there is no discernment

And there is no counsel against Yahweh.

³¹The ^ahorse is set for the day of battle,

But ^bsalvation belongs to Yahweh.