Proverbs 20–21

Chapter 20

On Life and Conduct

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

And whoever ¹is intoxicated by it is not wise.

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

He who provokes him to anger ^1aforfeits his own life.

^31aKeeping away from strife is an honor for a man,

But any fool will ²quarrel.

⁴The ^asluggard does not plow after the autumn,

So he ¹begs during the harvest and has nothing.

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

But a man of understanding draws it out.

⁶Many a man ^aproclaims his own loyalty,

But who can find a ^btrustworthy man?

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 cleansed my heart,

I am pure from my sin”?

^101aDiffering weights and differing measures,

Both of them are abominable to the Lord.

¹¹It is by his deeds that a lad ^1adistinguishes himself

If his conduct is pure and right.

¹²The hearing ^aear and the seeing eye,

The Lord has made both of them.

^13aDo not love sleep, or you will 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 ¹jewels;

But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing.

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

And for foreigners, hold him in pledge.

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

But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

¹⁸Prepare ^aplans by consultation,

And ^bmake war by wise guidance.

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

Therefore do not associate with ^1ba gossip.

²⁰He who ^acurses his father or his mother,

His ^blamp will go out in ¹time of darkness.

²¹An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning

Will not be blessed in the end.

^22aDo not say, “I will repay evil”;

^bWait for the Lord, and He will save you.

^231aDiffering weights are an abomination to the Lord,

And a ^2bfalse scale is not good.

^24aMan’s steps are ordained by the Lord,

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 ¹drives the ^bthreshing wheel over them.

²⁷The ^1aspirit of man is the lamp of the Lord,

Searching all the ²innermost parts of his being.

²⁸¹Loyalty and ^atruth preserve the king,

And he upholds his throne by righteousness.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength,

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

^30aStripes that wound scour away evil,

And strokes reach the ¹innermost parts.

Chapter 21

On Life and Conduct

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

He ^aturns it wherever He wishes.

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

But the Lord ^bweighs the hearts.

³To do ^arighteousness and justice

Is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice.

⁴Haughty eyes and a proud heart,

The ^alamp of the wicked, is sin.

⁵The plans of the ^adiligent lead surely to advantage,

But everyone ^bwho is hasty comes surely to poverty.

⁶The ^aacquisition of treasures by a lying tongue

Is a fleeting vapor, the ¹pursuit of ^bdeath.

⁷The violence of the wicked will drag them away,

Because they ^arefuse to act with justice.

⁸The way of a guilty man is ^acrooked,

But as for the pure, his conduct 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 desires evil;

His ^aneighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

¹¹When the ^ascoffer is punished, the ¹naive becomes wise;

But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.

¹²The righteous one considers the house of the wicked,

Turning the ^awicked to ruin.

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

Will also cry himself and not be ^banswered.

¹⁴A ^agift in secret subdues anger,

And a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.

¹⁵The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous,

But is ^aterror to the workers of iniquity.

¹⁶A man who wanders from the way of understanding

Will ^arest in the assembly of the ¹dead.

¹⁷He who ^aloves pleasure 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 precious ^atreasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise,

But a foolish man ^bswallows it up.

²¹He who ^apursues righteousness and loyalty

Finds life, righteousness and honor.

²²A ^awise man scales the city of the mighty

And brings down the ¹stronghold in which they trust.

²³He who ^aguards his mouth and his tongue,

Guards his soul from troubles.

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

Who acts with ^binsolent pride.

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

For his hands refuse to work;

²⁶All day long he ¹is 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 evil intent!

²⁸A ^afalse witness will perish,

But the man who listens to the truth will speak forever.

²⁹A wicked man ^1adisplays a bold face,

But as for the ^bupright, he makes his way sure.

³⁰There is ^ano wisdom and no understanding

And no counsel against the Lord.

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

But ^bvictory belongs to the Lord.