Proverbs 20

EasyEnglish Bible

20 If you drink too much wine or strong drink,
    you do stupid things and you fight.
    It is not wise to become drunk.
² When the king is angry, he is as dangerous as a lion that roars.
    If you make him angry, you will lose your life.
³ If you keep away from arguments, you will receive honour.
    Only fools love to quarrel.
⁴ A lazy farmer does not plough his fields in winter.
    As a result, he has nothing to eat when harvest time arrives.
⁵ A person's thoughts are like deep waters.
    But a wise person can bring them into the open.
⁶ Many people say that you can trust them.
    But it is difficult to find a truly faithful person.
⁷ Righteous people live in an honest way.
    Their children will also be happy.
⁸ When a king sits on his throne as judge,
    he sees what is evil and he removes it.
⁹ Nobody can say, ‘My thoughts are completely pure.
    There is no sin in me.’
¹⁰ If people use false weights and measures,
    the Lord hates anything like that.
¹¹ Even children show what they are like by the things that they do.
    You can see if they are honest and good.
¹² The Lord has made us with ears to hear with and eyes to see with.
    They are both his gift to us.
¹³ If you love to sleep too much, you will become poor.
    Keep awake so that you have food on the table!
¹⁴ When somebody is buying something, he says, ‘It is worth nothing!’
    But later he boasts about the cheap price!
¹⁵ Words that help you to learn things are very valuable.
    They are more valuable than gold or jewels.
¹⁶ If someone promises to pay the debts of a stranger,
    take his coat as a guarantee that he will pay.
¹⁷ If you cheat someone to get food to eat,
    it may seem good when you taste it.
    But soon it will be like sand in your mouth.
¹⁸ Things will go well if you receive good advice.
    If you want to fight a war, ask wise people to be your advisors.
¹⁹ Keep away from people who talk too much.
    They will tell everybody about your secrets.
²⁰ If you insult your parents, your life will quickly finish,
    like a lamp that suddenly goes out
    and leaves you in complete darkness.
²¹ If you receive riches too early in life,
    it will do you no good in the end.
²² Do not say, ‘I will pay you back for the evil thing you did to me.’
    Trust the Lord to make it right for you.
²³ The Lord hates traders who use false weights.
    He hates scales that do not weigh things properly.
²⁴ The Lord chooses the way that we take through life.
    We cannot understand what will happen to us.
²⁵ Do not be too quick to promise to give something to God.
    If you want to change your mind, you have made a trap for yourself.
²⁶ A wise king can pick out wicked people,
    and he will punish them as they deserve.
²⁷ The Lord makes our human spirit like his lamp inside us.
    It shows us what we are really like.
²⁸ A king should rule with faithful love and truth.
    If he is honest and fair, he will continue to rule.
²⁹ Young men boast about their strength.
    Old men are proud of their beautiful grey hair.
³⁰ Painful punishment stops you from doing evil things.
    It makes you change to a better way of life.