Proverbs 20
King James Version
20 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
10 Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.
11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
18 Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
21 An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.
23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.
24 Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?
25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
28 Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.
29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.
30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.
Proverbs 20
1599 Geneva Bible
20 1 Wine [a]is a mocker, and strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby, is not wise.
2 (A)The fear of the King is like the roaring of a lion: he that provoketh him unto anger [b]sinneth against his own soul.
3 It is a man’s honor to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
4 The slothful will not plow, because of winter: therefore shall he beg in summer, but have nothing.
5 The counsel in the heart of [c]man is like deep waters: but a man that hath understanding, will draw it out.
6 Many men will boast every one of his own goodness: but who can find a faithful man?
7 He that walketh in his integrity, is just, and blessed shall his children be after him.
8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment, [d]chaseth away all evil with his eyes.
9 (B)Who can say, I have made mine heart clean, I am clean from my sin?
10 Divers [e]weights, and divers measures, both [f]these are even abomination unto the Lord.
11 A child also is known by his doings, whether his word be pure and right.
12 The Lord hath made both these, even the ear to hear, and the eye to see.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou come unto poverty: open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone apart, he boasteth.
15 There is gold, and a multitude of precious stones: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 (C)Take his [g]garment, that is surety for a stranger, and a pledge of him for the stranger.
17 The bread of deceit is sweet to a man: but afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
18 Establish thy thoughts by counsel; and by counsel make war.
19 He that goeth about as a slanderer, discovereth (D)secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
20 (E)He that curseth his father or his mother, his light shall be put out in obscure darkness.
21 An heritage is hastily gotten at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
22 Say not thou, (F)I will recompense evil, but wait upon the Lord, and he shall save thee.
23 (G)Diverse weights are an abomination unto the Lord, and deceitful balances are not good.
24 (H)The steps of man are ruled by the Lord: how can a man then understand his own way?
25 It is a destruction for a man to [h]devour that which is sanctified, and after the vows to inquire.
26 A wise King scattereth the wicked, and causeth the [i]wheel to turn over them.
27 The [j]light of the Lord is the breath of man, and searcheth all the bowels of the belly.
28 (I)Mercy and truth preserve the king: for his throne shall be established with mercy.
29 The beauty of young men is their strength, and the glory of the aged is the gray head.
30 [k]The blueness of the wound serveth to purge the evil, and the stripes within the bowels of the belly.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:1 By wine here is meant him that is given to wine, and so by strong drink.
- Proverbs 20:2 Putteth his life in danger.
- Proverbs 20:5 It is hard to find out: for it is as deep waters, whose bottom cannot be found: yet the wise man will know a man either by his words or manners.
- Proverbs 20:8 Where righteous judgment is executed, there sin ceaseth, and vice dare not appear.
- Proverbs 20:10 Hebrew, stone and stone, ephah and ephah.
- Proverbs 20:10 Read Prov. 16:11.
- Proverbs 20:16 Teach him wit, that he cast not himself rashly into danger.
- Proverbs 20:25 That is, to apply it, or take it to his own use, which was appointed to God’s, and then inquire how they may be exempted from the fault.
- Proverbs 20:26 Which was a kind of punishment then used.
- Proverbs 20:27 The word of God giveth life unto man, and causeth us to see and try the secret of our dark hearts, Heb. 4:12.
- Proverbs 20:30 Sharp punishment that pierceth even the inward parts, is profitable for the wicked, to bring them to amendment.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
