Proverbs 20 Today's Daily Bread

1Wine produces mockers; liquor leads to brawls. Whoever is led astray by drink cannot be wise.

2The king's fury is like a lion's roar; to rouse his anger is to risk your life.

3Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.

4If you are too lazy to plow in the right season, you will have no food at the harvest.

5Though good advice lies deep within a person's heart, the wise will draw it out.

6Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is really faithful?

7The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children after them.

8When a king judges, he carefully weighs all the evidence, distinguishing the bad from the good.

9Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart; I am pure and free from sin"?

10The LORD despises double standards of every kind.

11Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure and right.

12Ears to hear and eyes to see—both are gifts from the LORD.

13If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!

14The buyer haggles over the price, saying, "It's worthless," then brags about getting a bargain!

15Wise speech is rarer and more valuable than gold and rubies.

16Be sure to get collateral from anyone who guarantees the debt of a stranger. Get a deposit if someone guarantees the debt of a foreigner. F29

17Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth.

18Plans succeed through good counsel; don't go to war without the advice of others.

19A gossip tells secrets, so don't hang around with someone who talks too much.

20If you curse your father or mother, the lamp of your life will be snuffed out.

21An inheritance obtained early in life is not a blessing in the end.

22Don't say, "I will get even for this wrong." Wait for the LORD to handle the matter.

23The LORD despises double standards; he is not pleased by dishonest scales.

24How can we understand the road we travel? It is the LORD who directs our steps.

25It is dangerous to make a rash promise to God before counting the cost.

26A wise king finds the wicked, lays them out like wheat, then runs the crushing wheel over them.

27The LORD's searchlight penetrates the human spirit, F30 exposing every hidden motive.

28Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king; his throne is made secure through love.

29The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.

30Physical punishment cleanses away evil; F31 such discipline purifies the heart.
FOOTNOTES:
F29: An alternate reading in the Hebrew text is the debt of an adulterous woman; compare 27:13.
F30: Or The human spirit is the LORD's searchlight.
F31: The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.