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20:1  If you drink too much wine or strong drink, you do stupid things and you fight. It is not wise to become drunk.
20:2  When the king is angry, he is as dangerous as a lion that roars. If you make him angry, you will lose your life.
20:3  If you keep away from arguments, you will receive honour. Only fools love to quarrel.
20:4  A lazy farmer does not plough his fields in winter. As a result, he has nothing to eat when harvest time arrives.
20:5  A person's thoughts are like deep waters. But a wise person can bring them into the open.
20:6  Many people say that you can trust them. But it is difficult to find a truly faithful person.
20:7  Righteous people live in an honest way. Their children will also be happy.
20:8  When a king sits on his throne as judge, he sees what is evil and he removes it.
20:9  Nobody can say, ‘My thoughts are completely pure. There is no sin in me.’
20:10  If people use false weights and measures, the Lord hates anything like that.
20:11  Even children show what they are like by the things that they do. You can see if they are honest and good.
20:12  The Lord has made us with ears to hear with and eyes to see with. They are both his gift to us.
20:13  If you love to sleep too much, you will become poor. Keep awake so that you have food on the table!
20:14  When somebody is buying something, he says, ‘It is worth nothing!’ But later he boasts about the cheap price!
20:15  Words that help you to learn things are very valuable. They are more valuable than gold or jewels.
20:16  If someone promises to pay the debts of a stranger, take his coat as a guarantee that he will pay.
20:17  If you cheat someone to get food to eat, it may seem good when you taste it. But soon it will be like sand in your mouth.
20:18  Things will go well if you receive good advice. If you want to fight a war, ask wise people to be your advisors.
20:19  Keep away from people who talk too much. They will tell everybody about your secrets.
20:20  If you insult your parents, your life will quickly finish, like a lamp that suddenly goes out and leaves you in complete darkness.
20:21  If you receive riches too early in life, it will do you no good in the end.
20:22  Do not say, ‘I will pay you back for the evil thing you did to me.’ Trust the Lord to make it right for you.
20:23  The Lord hates traders who use false weights. He hates scales that do not weigh things properly.
20:24  The Lord chooses the way that we take through life. We cannot understand what will happen to us.
20:25  Do not be too quick to promise to give something to God. If you want to change your mind, you have made a trap for yourself.
20:26  A wise king can pick out wicked people, and he will punish them as they deserve.
20:27  The Lord makes our human spirit like his lamp inside us. It shows us what we are really like.
20:28  A king should rule with faithful love and truth. If he is honest and fair, he will continue to rule.
20:29  Young men boast about their strength. Old men are proud of their beautiful grey hair.
20:30  Painful punishment stops you from doing evil things. It makes you change to a better way of life.