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Proverbs 20 (AMP)

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¹ WINE IS a mocker, strong drink a riotous brawler; and whoever errs or reels because of it is not wise. ² The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger or angers himself against him sins against his own life. ³ It is an honor for a man to cease from strife and keep aloof from it, but every fool will quarrel. ⁴ The sluggard does not plow when winter sets in; therefore he begs in harvest and has nothing. ⁵ Counsel in the heart of man is like water in a deep well, but a man of understanding draws it out. ⁶ Many a man proclaims his own loving-kindness and goodness, but a faithful man who can find? ⁷ The righteous man walks in his integrity; blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are his children after him. ⁸ A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows out all evil with his eyes. ⁹ Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? ¹⁰ Diverse weights and diverse measures--both of them are exceedingly offensive and abhorrent to the Lord. ¹¹ Even a child is known by his acts, whether what he does is pure and right. ¹² The hearing ear and the seeing eye--the Lord has made both of them. ¹³ Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes and you will be satisfied with bread. ¹⁴ It is worthless, it is worthless! says the buyer; but when he goes his way, then he boasts . ¹⁵ There is gold, and a multitude of pearls, but the lips of knowledge are a vase of preciousness . ¹⁶ Take the garment of one who is security for a stranger; and hold him in pledge when he is security for foreigners. ¹⁷ Food gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. ¹⁸ Purposes and plans are established by counsel; and with good advice make or carry on war. ¹⁹ He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore associate not with him who talks too freely. ²⁰ Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in complete darkness. ²¹ An inheritance hastily gotten at the beginning, in the end it will not be blessed. ²² Do not say, I will repay evil; wait for the Lord, and He will rescue you. ²³ Diverse and deceitful weights are shamefully vile and abhorrent to the Lord, and false scales are not good. ²⁴ Man's steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way? ²⁵ It is a snare to a man to utter a vow rashly and afterward inquire . ²⁶ A wise king winnows out the wicked and brings the threshing wheel over them . ²⁷ The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts. ²⁸ Loving-kindness and mercy, truth and faithfulness, preserve the king, and his throne is upheld by loyalty. ²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is their gray head . ³⁰ Blows that wound cleanse away evil, and strokes reach to the innermost parts.