Proverbs 20 - ESV - BibliaCrista

1 ¹Wine is a mocker, ²strong drink a brawler, and whoever ³is led astray by it is not wise.^a

2 The terror of a king is like ⁴the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger ⁵forfeits his life.

3 It is an honor for a man to ⁶keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.

4 ⁷The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; ⁸he will seek at harvest and have nothing.

5 The purpose in a man's heart is like ⁹deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

6 Many a man ¹⁰proclaims his own steadfast love, but ¹¹a faithful man who can find?

7 The righteous who ¹²walks in his integrity-- ¹³blessed are his children after him!

8 ¹⁴A king who sits on the throne of judgment ¹⁵winnows all evil with his eyes.

9 ¹⁶Who can say, "I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin"?

10 ¹⁷Unequal^b weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD.

11 Even a child ¹⁸makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.^c

12 ¹⁹The hearing ear and the seeing eye, ²⁰the LORD has made them both.

13 ²¹Love not sleep, lest you ²²come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have ²³plenty of bread.

14 "Bad, bad," says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts.

15 There is gold and abundance of ²⁴costly stones, ²⁵but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16 ²⁶Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and ²⁷hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.^d

17 ²⁸Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of ²⁹gravel.

18 ³⁰Plans are established by counsel; by ³¹wise guidance ³²wage war.

19 Whoever ³³goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with ³⁴a simple babbler.^e

20 ³⁵If one curses his father or his mother, ³⁶his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

21 ³⁷An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.

22 Do not say, ³⁸"I will repay evil"; ³⁹wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

23 ⁴⁰Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD, and ⁴¹false scales are not good.

24 A man's ⁴²steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?

25 It is a snare to say rashly, "It is holy," and to reflect only ⁴³after making vows.

26 A wise king ⁴⁴winnows the wicked and drives ⁴⁵the wheel over them.

27 ⁴⁶The spirit^f of man is the lamp of the LORD, ⁴⁷searching all ⁴⁸his innermost parts.

28 ⁴⁹Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, and by steadfast love his ⁵⁰throne is upheld.

29 The glory of young men is their strength, but ⁵¹the splendor of old men is their gray hair.

30 ⁵²Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean ⁵³the innermost parts.

Proverbs 20 ESV