Home Master Index
←Prev   Proverbs 20 as rendered by/in  Next→ 


20:1  Wine and beer make people lose control; they get loud and stumble around. And that is foolish.
20:2  An angry king is like a roaring lion. If you make him angry, you could lose your life.
20:3  People who refuse to argue deserve respect. Any fool can start an argument.
20:4  Some people are too lazy to plant seeds. So at harvest time, they look for food and find nothing.
20:5  Getting information from someone can be like getting water from a deep well. If you are smart, you will draw it out.
20:6  You might call many people your “friends,” but it is hard to find someone who can really be trusted.
20:7  When people live good, honest lives, their children are blessed.
20:8  When the king sits and judges people, he must look carefully to separate the evil from the good.
20:9  Can anyone say their heart is pure? Who can say, “I am free from sin”?
20:10  The Lord hates for people to use the wrong weights and measures to cheat others.
20:11  Even children show what they are like by the things they do. You can see if their actions are pure and right.
20:12  It was the Lord who gave us eyes for seeing and ears for hearing.
20:13  If you love to sleep, you will become poor. Use your time working and you will have plenty to eat.
20:14  When buying something, people always say, “It’s no good. It costs too much.” Then they go away and tell others what a good deal they got.
20:15  The right knowledge can bring you gold, pearls, and other expensive things.
20:16  If someone promises to pay the debt of a stranger, get a coat or something from him to keep until the debt is paid.
20:17  It may seem to be a good thing to get something by cheating, but in the end, it will be worth nothing.
20:18  Get good advice when you make your plans. Before you start a war, find good advisors.
20:19  You cannot trust someone who would talk about things told in private. So don’t be friends with someone who talks too much.
20:20  Those who would curse their father or mother are like a lamp that goes out on the darkest night.
20:21  If your wealth was easy to get, it will not be worth much to you.
20:22  Don’t ever say, “I’ll pay them back for what they did to me!” Wait for the Lord. He will make things right.
20:23  The Lord hates for people to use the wrong weights to cheat others. It is wrong to use scales that are not accurate.
20:24  The Lord guides our steps, and we never know where he will lead us.
20:25  Think carefully before you promise to give something to God. Later, you might wish you had not made that promise.
20:26  Like a farmer who separates wheat from the chaff, a wise king will decide who is wrong and crush them.
20:27  Your spirit is like a lamp to the Lord. He is able to see into your deepest parts.
20:28  A king who is loyal and true will keep his power. Loyalty will keep his kingdom strong.
20:29  We admire a young man for his strength, but we respect an old man for his gray hair.
20:30  A beating can remove evil and make you completely clean.