Proverbs

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

1Wine makes fools of people, and strong drink starts fights. Anyone led astray by them is not wise.

2The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.

2An angry king is as frightening as a roaring lion. Anyone who makes him angry is risking his own life.

3It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

3It brings a man honor to end a quarrel. But any fool can start one.

4The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

4The lazy man will not plow when the season calls for it. So at harvest time he looks for a crop and finds nothing.

5Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

5What a person really plans is deep, like water far down in a well. But a person with understanding can draw it up.

6Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

6Many men announce how loyal they are. But who can find a man you can actually trust?

7The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

7A good man lives an honest life. His children are blessed because of him.

8A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

8A king seated on his judgment seat sifts out every evil with one look.

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

9Who can say, "I have kept my heart clean; I am free from my sin"?

10Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.

10Weights that do not match and measures that are not equal: the LORD hates them both.

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

11Even a young person is known by what he does. People see whether his actions are clean and honest.

12The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.

12Ears that hear and eyes that see: the LORD made them both.

13Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

13Do not love sleep, or you will end up poor. Keep your eyes open, and you will have plenty to eat.

14It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

14"It's junk, it's junk," says the buyer. Then he walks away and brags about the deal he got.

15There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

15There is gold, and there are plenty of rubies. But lips that speak knowledge are a rare treasure.

16Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

16If a man promises to pay a stranger's debt, take his coat as your guarantee. Hold it until the debt is settled.

NoteIn that time, a person's outer coat could be taken as security for a debt, the way a deposit works today. The saying means: if someone is reckless enough to guarantee a stranger's loan, make him put up something real.

17Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

17Food a man got by cheating tastes sweet. Later his mouth is full of gravel.

18Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

18Plans work out when you get advice first. Do not go to war without good guidance.

19He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

19A gossip goes around telling other people's secrets. So stay away from anyone who talks too much.

20Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

20Whoever curses his father or his mother will have his lamp go out in total darkness.

21An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

21Property grabbed in a hurry at the start will not bring any blessing in the end.

22Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

22Do not say, "I will pay this person back for what he did." Wait for the LORD, and he will rescue you.

23Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.

23The LORD hates weights that do not match, and scales that cheat are no good at all.

24Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

24The LORD directs a man's steps. So how can anyone fully understand his own path?

25It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.

25It is a trap to promise something to God without thinking, and only later count the cost of the promise.

26A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.

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

NoteA threshing wheel was a heavy roller pulled over harvested grain to separate the good kernels from the useless husks. The picture is of a king sorting out wrongdoers and dealing with them firmly.

27The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

27A person's spirit is the LORD's lamp. It searches every hidden part inside him.

28Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.

28Steady love and truth keep a king safe. His throne stands firm because of that same love.

29The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.

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

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

30Hard blows scrub away evil. Beatings clean out what is deep inside a person.