PROVERBS 20

² The ^{a]"> [ a]} wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.

^{3 B)"> ( B)} It is honorable for a man to stop striving,
Since any fool can start a quarrel.

^{4 C)"> ( C)} The lazy man will not plow because of winter;
^{D)"> ( D)} He will beg during harvest and have nothing.

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

⁶ Most men will proclaim each his own ^{b]"> [ b]} goodness,
But who can find a faithful man?

^{7 E)"> ( E)} The righteous man walks in his integrity;
^{F)"> ( F)} His children are blessed after him.

⁸ A king who sits on the throne of judgment
Scatters all evil with his eyes.

^{9 G)"> ( G)} Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin”?

^{10 H)"> ( H)} Diverse weights and diverse measures,
They are both alike, an abomination to the Lord.

¹¹ Even a child is ^{I)"> ( I)} known by his deeds,
Whether what he does is pure and right.

^{12 J)"> ( J)} The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
The Lord has made them both.

^{13 K)"> ( K)} Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.

¹⁴ “ It is ^{c]"> [ c]} good for nothing,” cries the buyer;
But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.

¹⁵ There is gold and a multitude of rubies,
But ^{L)"> ( L)} the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

^{16 M)"> ( M)} Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.

^{17 N)"> ( N)} Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

^{18 O)"> ( O)} Plans are established by counsel;
^{P)"> ( P)} By wise counsel wage war.

^{19 Q)"> ( Q)} He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with one ^{R)"> ( R)} who flatters with his lips.

^{20 S)"> ( S)} Whoever curses his father or his mother,
^{T)"> ( T)} His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.

^{21 U)"> ( U)} An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning
^{V)"> ( V)} Will not be blessed at the end.

^{22 W)"> ( W)} Do not say, “I will ^{d]"> [ d]} recompense evil”;
^{X)"> ( X)} Wait for the Lord , and He will save you.

²³ Diverse weights are an abomination to the Lord ,
And dishonest scales are not good.

²⁴ A man’s steps are of the Lord ;
How then can a man understand his own way?

²⁵ It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy,
And afterward to reconsider his vows.

^{26 Y)"> ( Y)} A wise king sifts out the wicked,
And brings the threshing wheel over them.

^{27 Z)"> ( Z)} The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord ,
Searching all the ^{e]"> [ e]} inner depths of his heart.

^{28 AA)"> ( AA)} Mercy and truth preserve the king,
And by ^{f]"> [ f]} lovingkindness he upholds his throne.

²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength,
And ^{AB)"> ( AB)} the splendor of old men is their gray head.

³⁰ Blows that hurt cleanse away evil,
As do stripes the ^{g]"> [ g]} inner depths of the heart.