Proverbs 20

¹Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

²The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.

³It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

⁴The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

⁵Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

⁶Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

⁷The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

⁸A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

⁹Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

¹⁰Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.

¹¹Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

¹²The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.

¹³Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

¹⁴It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

¹⁵There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

¹⁶Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

¹⁷Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

¹⁸Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

¹⁹He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

²⁰Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

²¹An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

²²Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.

²³Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.

²⁴Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?

²⁵It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.

²⁶A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.

²⁷The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

²⁸Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.

³⁰The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.