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20:1  Wine is a mocker, intoxicating drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.
20:2  The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion; One who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.
20:3  Avoiding strife is an honor for a person, But any fool will quarrel.
20:4  The lazy one does not plow after the autumn, So he begs during the harvest and has nothing.
20:5  A plan in the heart of a person is like deep water, But a person of understanding draws it out.
20:6  Many a person proclaims his own loyalty, But who can find a trustworthy person?
20:7  A righteous person who walks in his integrity— How blessed are his sons after him.
20:8  A king who sits on the throne of justice Disperses all evil with his eyes.
20:9  Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin”?
20:10  Differing weights and differing measures, Both of them are abominable to the Lord.
20:11  It is by his deeds that a boy distinguishes himself, If his conduct is pure and right.
20:12  The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The Lord has made both of them.
20:13  Do not love sleep, or you will become poor; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food.
20:14  “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, But when he goes his way, then he boasts.
20:15  There is gold, and an abundance of jewels; But lips of knowledge are a more precious thing.
20:16  Take his garment when he becomes guarantor for a stranger; And for foreigners, seize a pledge from him.
20:17  Bread obtained by a lie is sweet to a person, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
20:18  Prepare plans by consultation, And make war by wise guidance.
20:19  One who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with a gossip.
20:20  He who curses his father or his mother, His lamp will go out in time of darkness.
20:21  An inheritance gained in a hurry at the beginning Will not be blessed in the end.
20:22  Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.
20:23  Differing weights are an abomination to the Lord, And a false scale is not good.
20:24  A man’s steps are ordained by the Lord; How then can a person understand his way?
20:25  It is a trap for a person to say carelessly, “It is holy!” And after the vows to make inquiry.
20:26  A wise king scatters the wicked, And drives a threshing wheel over them.
20:27  The spirit of a person is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the innermost parts of his being.
20:28  Loyalty and truth watch over the king, And he upholds his throne by loyalty.
20:29  The glory of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is their gray hair.
20:30  Bruising wounds clean away evil, And blows cleanse the innermost parts.