Proverbs 20:1-30 NCV

[1] Wine and beer make people loud and uncontrolled; it is not wise to get drunk on them. [2] An angry king is like a roaring lion. Making him angry may cost you your life. [3] Foolish people are always fighting, but avoiding quarrels will bring you honor. [4] Lazy farmers don't plow when they should; they expect a harvest, but there is none. [5] People's thoughts can be like a deep well, but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there. [6] Many people claim to be loyal, but it is hard to find a trustworthy person. [7] The good people who live honest lives will be a blessing to their children. [8] When a king sits on his throne to judge, he knows evil when he sees it. [9] No one can say, "I am innocent; I have never done anything wrong." [10] The LORD hates both these things: dishonest weights and dishonest measures. [11] Even children are known by their behavior; their actions show if they are innocent and good. [12] The LORD has made both these things: ears to hear and eyes to see. [13] If you love to sleep, you will be poor. If you stay awake, you will have plenty of food. [14] Buyers say, "This is bad. It's no good." Then they go away and brag about what they bought. [15] There is gold and plenty of rubies, but only a few people speak with knowledge. [16] Take the coat of someone who promises to pay a stranger's debts, and keep it until he pays what the stranger owes. [17] Stolen food may taste sweet at first, but later it will feel like a mouth full of gravel. [18] Get advice if you want your plans to work. If you go to war, get the advice of others. [19] Gossips can't keep secrets, so avoid people who talk too much. [20] Those who curse their father or mother will be like a light going out in darkness. [21] Wealth inherited quickly in the beginning will do you no good in the end. [22] Don't say, "I'll pay you back for the wrong you did." Wait for the LORD, and he will make things right. [23] The LORD hates dishonest weights, and dishonest scales do not please him. [24] The LORD decides what a person will do; no one understands what his life is all about. [25] It's dangerous to promise something to God too quickly. After you've thought about it, it may be too late. [26] A wise king sorts out the evil people, and he punishes them as they deserve. [27] The LORD looks deep inside people and searches through their thoughts. [28] Loyalty and truth keep a king in power; he continues to rule if he is loyal. [29] The young glory in their strength, and the old are honored for their gray hair. [30] Hard punishment will get rid of evil, and whippings can change an evil heart.