Proverbs 20:1-6

1 Wine makes you mean, beer makes you quarrelsome - a staggering drunk is not much fun.
2 Quick-tempered leaders are like mad dogs - cross them and they bite your head off.
3 It's a mark of good character to avert quarrels, but fools love to pick fights.
4 A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall.
5 Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within.
6 Lots of people claim to be loyal and loving, but where on earth can you find one?
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.