Proverbs 20

²A king's anger is as frightening as a roaring lion. Whoever makes a king angry is hurting themselves.

³It is honourable to walk away from a fight. But foolish people cannot help getting involved in trouble.

⁴A lazy person will not work because it is cold. When harvest comes, they have nothing and must beg. Work when it is time to work.

⁵Wisdom deep inside a person is like water at the bottom of a deep well. A person who understands knows how to bring it out.

⁶Most people talk about how good they are. But a truly faithful person is very rare and hard to find.

⁷A good person lives with honesty in everything they do. Their children are blessed because of it.

⁸A king who judges rightly drives away all evil just by looking. Good leadership gets rid of what is wrong.

⁹Who can truly say their heart is completely clean? Who can say they have no sin at all? No one can say that.

¹⁰Using different weights and measures to cheat people is something God hates very much. Be fair and honest in everything.

¹¹Even a child shows who they really are by what they do. Your actions show whether your heart is pure and right.

¹²God made your ears to hear. God made your eyes to see. He made them both for His purposes.

¹³Do not love sleep too much or you will end up with nothing. Wake up and work and you will have enough to eat.

¹⁴A buyer says the item is worthless to pay less. Then he walks away and brags about the good deal he got. That is dishonest.

¹⁵Gold and rubies are precious. But wise and knowledgeable words are worth even more than jewels.

¹⁶Be very careful when someone asks you to promise to pay for a stranger. It is wise to get something real in return before you agree.

¹⁷Bread gotten by lying tastes sweet at first. But in the end it is like eating gravel. Cheating never truly satisfies.

¹⁸Good plans are made with wise advice from others. Before any big decision, seek counsel. Do not rush in alone.

¹⁹A person who gossips spreads other people's secrets. Stay away from anyone who says flattering things to get close to you, then tells your secrets to others.

²⁰Anyone who speaks against their father or mother will lose the light in their life. Honour your parents — do not curse them.

²¹Getting something quickly and all at once might seem good. But things gained too fast do not end well.

²²Do not say you will pay back evil for evil. Wait on God. He will save you and make things right.

²³God hates unequal weights used to cheat people. A dishonest scale is not good. Be fair and honest in all you do.

²⁴God orders every step a person takes. No person can fully understand their own path without God.

²⁵It is a trap to promise something to God and then ask whether you really need to keep it. Keep your promises to God.

²⁶A wise king drives away the wicked. He uses his power to crush what is evil and protect what is good.

²⁷God put a light inside every person — like a candle. He uses it to search and know our deepest thoughts and feelings.

²⁸Mercy and truth keep a king safe. His throne is held up by being kind and honest. Good leaders must have both.

²⁹Young people are strong and full of energy. Older people have wisdom that comes with age. Both are gifts from God to honour.

³⁰Sometimes a painful correction cleans out what is wrong inside a person. Correction that hurts can reach deep and bring real change.