Chapter 20

  Wine [is] a scorner -- strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.  

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  The fear of a king [is] a growl as of a young lion, He who is causing him to be wroth is wronging his soul.  

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  An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.  

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  Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.  

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  Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draweth it up.  

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  A multitude of men proclaim each his kindness, And a man of stedfastness who doth find?  

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  The righteous is walking habitually in his integrity, O the happiness of his sons after him!  

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  A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering with his eyes all evil,  

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  Who saith, 'I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?'  

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  A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to Jehovah.  

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  Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.  

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  A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.  

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  Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes -- be satisfied [with] bread.  

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  'Bad, bad,' saith the buyer, And going his way then he boasteth himself.  

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  Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Yea, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.  

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  Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.  

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  Sweet to a man [is] the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled [with] gravel.  

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  Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.  

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  A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver [with] his lips make not thyself surety.  

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  Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.  

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  An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.  

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  Do not say, 'I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.  

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  An abomination to Jehovah [are] a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit [are] not good.  

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  From Jehovah [are] the steps of a man, And man -- how understandeth he his way?  

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  A snare to a man [is] he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.  

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  A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.  

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  The breath of man [is] a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.  

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  Kindness and truth keep a king, And he hath supported by kindness his throne.  

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  The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.  

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  The bandages of a wound thou removest with the evil, Also the plagues of the inner parts of the heart!  

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