¹Wine is a mocker, beer is a brawler;[#20:1 Gn 9:21; Pr 23:29–30; Is 28:7; Hs 4:11]

whoever goes astray because of them is not wise.

²A king’s terrible wrath is like the roaring of a lion;

anyone who provokes him endangers himself.

³Honour belongs to the person who ends a dispute,[#20:3 Pr 17:14]

but any fool can get himself into a quarrel.

⁴The slacker does not plough during planting season;[#20:4 Lit plough in winter]

at harvest time he looks, and there is nothing.

⁵Counsel in a person’s heart is deep water;[#20:5 Pr 18:4]

but a person of understanding draws it out.

⁶Many a person proclaims his own loyalty,

but who can find a trustworthy person?

⁷A righteous person acts with integrity;[#20:7 Pr 2:7,20–21; 10:9; 13:6]

his children who come after him will be happy.

⁸A king sitting on a throne to judge

separates out all evil with his eyes.

⁹Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure;

I am cleansed from my sin’?

¹⁰Differing weights and varying measures –[#20:10 Lit Stone and stone, measure and measure]

both are detestable to the Lord .

¹¹Even a young man is known by his actions –

by whether his behaviour is pure and upright.

¹²The hearing ear and the seeing eye –

the Lord made them both.

¹³Don’t love sleep, or you will become poor;

open your eyes, and you’ll have enough to eat.

¹⁴‘It’s worthless, it’s worthless! ’ the buyer says,

but after he is on his way, he gloats.

¹⁵There is gold and a multitude of jewels,

but knowledgeable lips are a rare treasure.

¹⁶Take his garment,

for he has put up security for a stranger;

get collateral if it is for foreigners.

¹⁷Food gained by fraud is sweet to a person,[#20:17 Pr 9:17]

but afterwards his mouth is full of gravel.

¹⁸Finalise plans with counsel,[#20:18 Pr 11:14; 15:22]

and wage war with sound guidance.

¹⁹The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip;[#20:19 Lv 19:16; Pr 11:13]

avoid someone with a big mouth.

²⁰Whoever curses his father or mother #– #[#20:20 Ex 21:17; Pr 24:20; 30:11]

his lamp will go out in deep darkness.

²¹An inheritance gained prematurely

will not be blessed ultimately.

²²Don’t say, ‘I will avenge this evil! ’[#20:22 Pr 24:29; Mt 5:39; Rm 12:17,19; 1Th 5:15; 1Pt 3:9]

Wait on the Lord , and he will rescue you.

²³Differing weights are detestable to the Lord ,[#20:23 Lit A stone and a stone; #20:23 Pr 20:10; Mc 6:11]

and dishonest scales are unfair.

²⁴Even a courageous person’s steps are determined by the Lord ,[#20:24 Pr 16:9,33; 19:21]

so how can anyone understand his own way?

²⁵It is a trap for anyone to dedicate something rashly

and later to reconsider his vows.

²⁶A wise king separates out the wicked[#20:26 Pr 20:8]

and drives the threshing wheel over them.

²⁷The Lord ’s lamp sheds light on a person’s life,[#20:27 Lit breath]

searching the innermost parts. ,

²⁸Loyalty and faithfulness guard a king;

through loyalty he maintains his throne.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength,

and the splendour of old men is grey hair.

³⁰Lashes and wounds purge away evil,[#20:30 Is 53:5]

and beatings cleanse the innermost parts.