1 It is a luxurious thing, wine, and inebriation is tumultuous. Anyone who is delighted by this will not be wise. 2 Just like the roaring of a lion, so also is the dread of a king. Whoever provokes him sins in his own soul. 3 Honor is for the man who separates himself from contentions. But all the foolish meddle in altercations. 4 Because of the cold, the lazy one was not willing to plough. Therefore, in the summer, he will beg, and it will not be given to him. 5 Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep waters. But a wise man will draw it out. 6 Many men are called merciful. But who will find a faithful man? 7 The just who walks in his simplicity shall leave behind him blessed sons. 8 The king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters all evil with his gaze. 9 Who is able to say: “My heart is clean. I am pure from sin?” 10 Diverse weights, diverse measures: both are abominable with God. 11 A child may be understood by his interests: whether his works may be clean and upright. 12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye: the Lord has made them both. 13 Do not love sleep, lest deprivation oppress you. Open your eyes and be satisfied with bread. 14 “It is bad, it is bad,” says every buyer; and when he has withdrawn, then he will boast. 15 There is gold, and there are a multitude of jewels. But lips of knowledge are a precious vessel. 16 Take away the vestments of him who stands up to vouch for a stranger, and take a pledge from him instead of from outsiders. 17 The bread of lies is sweet to a man. But afterwards, his mouth will be filled with pebbles. 18 Plans are strengthened by counsels. And wars are to be handled by governments. 19 Do not become involved with him who reveals mysteries, and who walks deceitfully, and who enlarges his lips. 20 Whoever curses his father and mother, his lamp will be extinguished in the midst of darkness. 21 When an inheritance is obtained hastily in the beginning, in the end it will be without a blessing. 22 Do not say, “I will repay evil.” Wait for the Lord, and he will free you. 23 Diverse weights are an abomination with the Lord. A deceitful balance is not good. 24 The steps of men are directed by the Lord. But who is the man able to understand his own way? 25 It is ruin for a man to devour what is holy, or, after making vows, to retract them. 26 A wise king scatters the impious and bends an archway over them. 27 The spirit of a man is a lamp to the Lord, which investigates all the secrets of the inner self. 28 Mercy and truth guard the king, and his throne is strengthened by clemency. 29 The joy of youths is their strength. And the dignity of old men is their grey hairs. 30 The bruise of a wound, as well as scourges, shall wipe away evils in the more secret places of the inner self.
Proverbs · Catholic Public Domain Version
Proverbs 20 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
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)