Proverbs · Brenton's English Septuagint
Proverbs 20 Brenton's English Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (2)
- Square brackets mark words Brenton supplied for English sense.
- Old Testament only (no New Testament). First printed 1844; the 1851 edition added the deuterocanonical books.
1 Wine is an intemperate thing, and strong drink full of violence: but every fool is entangled with them.
1 Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
2 The threat of a king differs not from the rage of a lion; and he that provokes him sins against his own soul.
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] a glory to a man to turn aside from railing; but every fool is entangled with such matters.
3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.
4 A sluggard when reproached is not ashamed: so also he who borrows corn in harvest.
4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.
5 Counsel in a man's heart is deep water; but a prudent man will draw it out.
5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 A man is valuable, and a merciful man precious: but [it is] hard to find a faithful man.
6 Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man?
7 He that walks blameless in justice, shall leave his children blessed.
7 A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him.
8 Whenever a righteous king sits on the throne, no evil thing can stand before his presence.
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.
9 Who will boast that he has a pure heart? or who will boldly say that he is pure from sins?
9 Who can say, “I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin”?
9a The lamp of him that reviles father or mother shall be put out, and his eyeballs shall see darkness.
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9b A portion hastily gotten at first shall not be blessed in the end.
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9c Say not, I will avenge myself on my enemy; but wait on the Lord, that he may help thee.
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10 A large and small weight, and divers measures, are even both of them unclean before the Lord; and [so is] he that makes them.
10 Differing weights and differing measures, both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.
11 A youth [when in company] with a godly man, will be restrained in his devices, and [then] his way will be straight.
11 Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.
12 The ear hears, and the eye sees: even both of them are the Lord's work.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Yahweh has made even both of them.
13 Love not to speak ill, lest thou be cut off: open thine eyes, and be filled with bread.
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 A double weight is an abomination to the Lord; and a deceitful balance is not good in his sight.
23 Yahweh detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are not pleasing.
24 A man's goings are directed of the Lord: how then can a mortal understand his ways?
24 A man’s steps are from Yahweh; how then can man understand his way?
25 It is a snare to a man hastily to consecrate some of his own property: for [in that case] repentance comes after vowing.
25 It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows.
26 A wise king utterly crushes the ungodly, and will bring a wheel upon them.
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked, and drives the threshing wheel over them.
27 The spirit of man is a light of the Lord, who searches the inmost parts of the belly.
27 The spirit of man is Yahweh’s lamp, searching all his innermost parts.
28 Mercy and truth are a guard to a king, and will surround his throne with righteousness.
28 Love and faithfulness keep the king safe. His throne is sustained by love.
29 Wisdom is an ornament to young men; and grey [hairs] are the glory of old men.
29 The glory of young men is their strength. The splendor of old men is their gray hair.
30 Bruises and contusions befall bad men; and plagues [shall come] into the inward parts of [their] belly.
30 Wounding blows cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the innermost parts.
Cross references (24)
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
- 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
- 9a Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8–10; 1 Kings 8:46; Job 14:4; Job 15:14
- 9b Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8–10; 1 Kings 8:46; Job 14:4; Job 15:14
- 9c Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8–10; 1 Kings 8:46; Job 14:4; Job 15:14
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)