20¹ 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; [1] 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: [2] 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, [3] 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 [4] 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 [5] with his lips.

²⁰ Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp [6] 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 [7] 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 [8] 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 gray head.

³⁰ The blueness of a wound cleanseth [9] away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

20¹ Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler.
Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

² The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion.
He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

³ It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife;
but every fool will be quarreling.

⁴ The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter;
therefore he shall 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 Many men claim to be men of unfailing love,
but who can find a faithful man?

⁷ A righteous man walks in integrity.
Blessed are his children after him.

⁸ A king who sits on the throne of judgment
scatters away all evil with his eyes.

⁹ Who can say, “I have made my heart pure.
I am clean and without sin?”

¹⁰ Differing weights and differing measures,
both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.

¹¹ Even a child makes himself known by his doings,
whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.

¹² The hearing ear, and the seeing eye,
Yahweh has made even both of them.

¹³ Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty.
Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.

¹⁴ “It’s no good, it’s no good,” says the buyer;
but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.

¹⁵ There is gold and abundance of rubies;
but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.

¹⁶ Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger;
and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman.

¹⁷ Fraudulent food is sweet to a man,
but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.

¹⁸ Plans are established by advice;
by wise guidance you wage war!

¹⁹ He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets;
therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips.

²⁰ Whoever curses his father or his mother,
his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.

²¹ An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning,
won’t be blessed in the end.

²² Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.”
Wait for Yahweh, and he will save you.

²³ Yahweh detests differing weights,
and dishonest scales are not pleasing.

²⁴ A man’s steps are from Yahweh;
how then can man understand his way?

²⁵ It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication,
then later to consider his vows.

²⁶ A wise king winnows out the wicked,
and drives the threshing wheel over them.

²⁷ The spirit of man is Yahweh’s lamp,
searching all his innermost parts.

²⁸ Love and faithfulness keep the king safe.
His throne is sustained by love.

²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength.
The splendor of old men is their gray hair.

³⁰ Wounding blows cleanse away evil,
and beatings purge the innermost parts.

20¹ Wine 'is' a scorner—strong drink 'is' noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.

² The fear of a king 'is' a growl as of a young lion, He who is causing him to be wroth is wronging his soul.

³ An honour to a man is cessation from strife, And every fool intermeddleth.

⁴ Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.

⁵ Counsel in the heart of a man 'is' deep water, And a man of understanding draweth it up.

⁶ A multitude of men proclaim each his kindness, And a man of stedfastness who doth find?

⁷ The righteous is walking habitually in his integrity, O the happiness of his sons after him!

⁸ A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering with his eyes all evil,

⁹ Who saith, 'I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?'

¹⁰ A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them 'are' an abomination to Jehovah.

¹¹ Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.

¹² A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.

¹³ Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes—be satisfied 'with' bread.

¹⁴ 'Bad, bad,' saith the buyer, And going his way then he boasteth himself.

¹⁵ Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Yea, a precious vessel, 'are' lips of knowledge.

¹⁶ Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.

¹⁷ Sweet to a man 'is' the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled 'with' gravel.

¹⁸ Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.

¹⁹ A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver 'with' his lips make not thyself surety.

²⁰ Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.

²¹ An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.

²² Do not say, 'I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.

²³ An abomination to Jehovah 'are' a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit 'are' not good.

²⁴ From Jehovah 'are' the steps of a man, And man—how understandeth he his way?

²⁵ A snare to a man 'is' he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.

²⁶ A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel.

²⁷ The breath of man 'is' a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.

²⁸ Kindness and truth keep a king, And he hath supported by kindness his throne.

²⁹ The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs.

³⁰ The bandages of a wound thou removest with the evil, Also the plagues of the inner parts of the heart!