Proverbs 20:1-10

1 ¹Wine is a mocker, ²strong drink a brawler, and whoever ³is led astray by it is not wise. ^[a]

2 The terror of a king is like ⁴the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger ⁵forfeits his life.

3 It is an honor for a man to ⁶keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.

4 ⁷The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; ⁸he will seek at harvest and have nothing.

5 The purpose in a man’s heart is like ⁹deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

6 Many a man ¹⁰proclaims his own steadfast love, but ¹¹a faithful man who can find?

7 The righteous who ¹²walks in his integrity— ¹³blessed are his children after him!

8 ¹⁴A king who sits on the throne of judgment ¹⁵winnows all evil with his eyes.

9 ¹⁶Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?

10 ¹⁷Unequal^[b] weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

Cross References

• 1. 20:1 [Gen. 9:21]; See ch. 23:29-32
• 2. 20:1 ch. 31:4
• 3. 20:1 Isa. 28:7; [Hos. 4:11]
• 4. 20:2 See ch. 19:12
• 5. 20:2 Num. 16:38; Hab. 2:10; See ch. 8:36
• 6. 20:3 [ch. 17:14]
• 7. 20:4 [ch. 19:24]
• 8. 20:4 ch. 19:15; [ch. 6:11]
• 9. 20:5 ch. 18:4
• 10. 20:6 [ch. 25:14; Matt. 6:2; Luke 18:11]
• 11. 20:6 [Ps. 12:1]
• 12. 20:7 See ch. 19:1
• 13. 20:7 [1 Kgs. 15:4; Ps. 37:26; 112:2; Jer. 33:20, 21]
• 14. 20:8 [ch. 16:10]
• 15. 20:8 [ver. 26; ch. 25:5; Ps. 101:5]
• 16. 20:9 See 1 Kgs. 8:46
• 17. 20:10 ver. 23; See ch. 11:1

Footnotes

• [a] 20:1 Or 'will not become wise'
• [b] 20:10 Or 'Two kinds of'; also verse 23