Proverbs 20

¹Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,

²Roaring like the lion is the dreaded anger of a king;

³It is honorable for the man to refrain from strife,

⁴The lazy person will not plow in season;

⁵Deep waters are like purpose in the heart of a man,[#Or “mind”]

⁶Many a person will proclaim his loyalty for himself,

⁷He who walks in his integrity is righteous;

⁸A king who sits on the throne of judgment

⁹Who will say “I have made my heart clean;[#Or “mind”]

¹⁰Stone and stone, measure and measure,

¹¹Even by his acts, a young man will make himself known,[#Or “young boy,” or “adolescent”]

¹²The ear that hears and the eye that sees,

¹³Do not love sleep, lest you become poor;

¹⁴“Bad, bad,” the buyer will say,

¹⁵There is gold and many costly stones,

¹⁶Take his garment, for he has given security to a stranger,

¹⁷Bread gained by deceit is sweet for the man,

¹⁸A plan will be established by advice,[#Hebrew “plans”]

¹⁹He reveals a secret, he who walks about with gossip,

²⁰He who curses his father and his mother,

²¹An inheritance acquired hastily at the beginning[#Literally “at the first”]

²²Do not say “I will repay evil”;

²³An abomination of Yahweh is a stone and a weight,[#Literally “a stone and a stone”]

²⁴Away from Yahweh are the steps of a strong man,

²⁵It is a snare to humankind to say rashly “It is holy,”

²⁶A wise king winnows the wicked,

²⁷The lamp of Yahweh is the spirit of humankind,[#Or “soul”]

²⁸Loyalty and faithfulness will preserve a king,

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength,[#Or “strengthens them”]

³⁰The blows of a wound will cleanse evil,