1 Wine makes men foolish, and strong drink makes men come to blows; and whoever comes into error through these is not wise. 2 The wrath of a king is like the loud cry of a lion: he who makes him angry does wrong against himself. 3 It is an honour for a man to keep from fighting, but the foolish are ever at war. 4 The hater of work will not do his ploughing because of the winter; so at the time of grain-cutting he will be requesting food and will get nothing. 5 The purpose in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of good sense will get it out. 6 Most men make no secret of their kind acts: but where is a man of good faith to be seen? 7 An upright man goes on in his righteousness: happy are his children after him! 8 A king on the seat of judging puts to flight all evil with his eyes. 9 Who is able to say, I have made my heart clean, I am free from my sin? 10 Unequal weights and unequal measures, they are all disgusting to the Lord. 11 Even a child may be judged by his doings, if his work is free from sin and if it is right. 12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye are equally the Lord's work. 13 Do not be a lover of sleep, or you will become poor: keep your eyes open, and you will have bread enough. 14 A poor thing, a poor thing, says he who is giving money for goods: but when he has gone on his way, then he makes clear his pride in what he has got. 15 There is gold and a store of corals: but the lips of knowledge are a jewel of great price. 16 Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men. 17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but after, his mouth will be full of sand. 18 Every purpose is put into effect by wise help: and by wise guiding make war. 19 He who goes about talking of the business of others gives away secrets: so have nothing to do with him whose lips are open wide. 20 If anyone puts a curse on his father or his mother, his light will be put out in the blackest night. 21 A heritage may be got quickly at first, but the end of it will not be a blessing. 22 Do not say, I will give punishment for evil: go on waiting for the Lord, and he will be your saviour. 23 Unequal weights are disgusting to the Lord, and false scales are not good. 24 A man's steps are of the Lord; how then may a man have knowledge of his way? 25 It is a danger to a man to say without thought, It is holy, and, after taking his oaths, to be questioning if it is necessary to keep them. 26 A wise king puts evil-doers to flight, and makes their evil-doing come back on them. 27 The Lord keeps watch over the spirit of man, searching all the deepest parts of the body. 28 Mercy and good faith keep the king safe, and the seat of his power is based on upright acts. 29 The glory of young men is their strength, and the honour of old men is their grey hairs. 30 By the wounds of the rod evil is taken away, and blows make clean the deepest parts of the body.
Proverbs · Bible in Basic English
Proverbs 20 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (30)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ephesians 5:18; Hosea 4:11; Isaiah 28:7; 1 Corinthians 6:10; Proverbs 31:4
- 2 Proverbs 19:12; Ecclesiastes 10:4; 1 Kings 2:23; Proverbs 8:36; Hosea 11:10
- 3 Proverbs 16:32; Proverbs 17:14; Proverbs 19:11; Ephesians 4:32–5:1; Proverbs 14:29
- 4 Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 19:15; Proverbs 13:4; Matthew 25:24–28; Matthew 25:3–10
- 5 Proverbs 18:4; 1 Corinthians 2:11; Psalm 64:6
- 6 Psalm 12:1; Matthew 6:2; Luke 18:8; Luke 22:33; Proverbs 27:2
- 7 Psalm 112:2; Psalm 37:26; Jeremiah 32:39; 2 Corinthians 1:12; Acts 2:39
- 8 Proverbs 25:5; Proverbs 20:26; Proverbs 29:14; Psalm 99:4; Psalm 92:9
- 9 Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8–10; 1 Kings 8:46; Job 14:4; Job 15:14
- 10 Proverbs 20:23; Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 16:11; Leviticus 19:35; Deuteronomy 25:13–15
- 11 Matthew 7:16; Luke 6:43–44; Proverbs 21:8; Luke 2:46–47; Psalm 51:5
- 12 Matthew 13:13–16; Psalm 94:9; Psalm 119:18; Exodus 4:11; Ephesians 1:17–18
- 13 Romans 12:11; Proverbs 19:15; Romans 13:11; Proverbs 12:11; Proverbs 10:4
- 14 1 Thessalonians 4:6
- 15 Proverbs 8:11; Proverbs 25:12; Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 16:16; Romans 10:14–15
- 16 Proverbs 27:13; Exodus 22:26–27; Proverbs 22:26–27; Proverbs 11:15; Proverbs 7:5
- 17 Ecclesiastes 11:9; Proverbs 9:17–18; Job 20:12–20; Lamentations 3:15–16; Hebrews 11:25
- 18 Luke 14:31; Proverbs 24:6; Proverbs 15:22; Judges 1:1–2; Proverbs 11:14
- 19 Proverbs 11:13; Proverbs 13:3; Romans 16:18; Proverbs 18:8; Leviticus 19:16
- 20 Exodus 21:17; Proverbs 30:11; Proverbs 30:17; Matthew 15:4; Jude 13
- 21 1 Timothy 6:9; Proverbs 13:22; Proverbs 28:8; Proverbs 23:4; Proverbs 28:22
- 22 Romans 12:17–19; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; Proverbs 24:29; Proverbs 17:13; 1 Peter 3:9
- 23 Proverbs 20:10; Hosea 12:7; Ezekiel 45:10; Proverbs 11:1; Amos 8:5
- 24 Proverbs 16:9; Jeremiah 10:23; Psalm 25:12; Psalm 37:23; Psalm 25:4
- 25 Ecclesiastes 5:4–6; Matthew 5:33; Numbers 30:2–16; Leviticus 27:9–10; Malachi 3:8–10
- 26 Proverbs 20:8; 2 Samuel 12:31; Psalm 101:5–8; 2 Samuel 4:9–12; Isaiah 28:27–28
- 27 1 Corinthians 2:11; Hebrews 4:12–13; Job 32:8; 1 John 3:19–21; Genesis 2:7
- 28 Proverbs 16:12; Psalm 26:1; Proverbs 29:14; Psalm 101:1; Isaiah 16:5
- 29 1 John 2:14; Proverbs 16:31; Leviticus 19:32; Jeremiah 9:23–24
- 30 Hebrews 12:10; Proverbs 22:15; Proverbs 19:25; Isaiah 53:5; Isaiah 27:9
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For [the Scripture] saith in a certain place, "The Spirit of the Lord is a candle searching the secret parts of the belly." Let us reflect how near He is, and that none of the thoughts or reasonings in which we engage are hid from Him.
Because, "When the righteous King sitteth on the throne, who will glory that his heart is pure?" It may be thou dost not discover anything in thine own conscience; but He who seeth better, whose Divine glance penetrateth into deeper things, discovereth it may be something, He seeth it may be something, He discovereth something.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
Here then it is further required, that each of you be found faithful in his conscience: for a faithful man it is hard to find: not that thou shouldest shew thy conscience to me, for thou art not to be judged of man's judgment; but that thou shew the sincerity of thy faith to God, who trieth the reins …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
So too it is said by Solomon, "For the wise king is the winnower of the ungodly, and he bringeth on them the wheel of the wicked.--After Thine height Thou hast multiplied the sons of men." For there is in temporal things too a multiplication, which turns away from the unity of God.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
For there be many that please themselves, and think themselves righteous; and there is another passage which goeth against them, which saith, "Who shall boast that he hath a clean heart, and that he is pure from sin?" There is then, so to speak, a limit to glorying in our conscience, namely, to know that thy faith is sincere, thy …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)