Proverbs 20 - Easy To Read Version Easy To Read Version
Proverbs 20

¹ Wine and beer make people lose control of themselves. They get loud and start to brag. They become drunk and do foolish things.

² The anger of a king is like the roar of a lion. If you make the king angry, then you could lose your life.

³ Any fool can start an argument. So you should respect a person who refuses to argue.

⁴ A lazy person is too lazy to plant seeds. So, at the time of harvest he looks for food and finds nothing.

⁵ Good advice is like getting water from a deep well. But a wise person will try hard to learn from another person.

⁶ Many people call a person”friend.” But it is really hard to find a person that can really be trusted.

⁷ A good person lives a good life. And his children will be blessed.

⁸ When the king sits and judges people, he must look carefully to separate the evil \{from the good\}.

⁹ Can any person really say that he has always done his best? Can any person really say that he has no sin? \{No!\}

¹⁰ The Lord hates people that cheat other people using weights and measures that are not fair.

¹¹ Even a child shows that he is good or bad by the things he does. You can watch that child and know if he is honest and good.

¹² The Lord gave us eyes to see with and ears to hear with—\{use them\}!

¹³ If you love to sleep, then you will become poor. But use your time working and you will have plenty to eat.

¹⁴ The person who buys something from you always says, “It’s no good! It costs too much!” Then that person goes away and tells other people that he made a good deal.

¹⁵ Gold and jewels can make a man rich. But a person who knows what he is talking about is worth much, much more.

¹⁶ You will lose your shirt if you make yourself responsible for another man’s debts.

¹⁷ If you get something by cheating, it may seem like a good thing. But in the end it will be worth nothing.

¹⁸ Get good advice before you make plans. If you are starting a war, find good people to guide you.

¹⁹ A person who tells gossip about other people can’t be trusted. So don’t be friends with a person who talks too much.

²⁰ If a person curses {\cf2\super [28]} his father or mother, then he is like a person whose light stops shinning in the darkest darkness.

²¹ If your wealth was very easy to get, it will not be worth much to you.

²² If someone does something against you, don’t try to punish him yourself. Wait for the Lord! In the end, he will make you the winner.

²³ Some people use weights and scales that are not accurate. They use those things so they can cheat people. The Lord hates that. That does not make him happy!

²⁴ The Lord decides what happens to every person. So how can any person understand what happens in his life?

²⁵ Think carefully before you promise to give something to God. Later you might wish that you had not made that promise.

²⁶ A wise king will decide which people are evil. And that king will punish those people.

²⁷ A person's spirit is like a lamp to the Lord. The Lord is able to see into the deepest parts of a person. {\cf2\super [29]}

²⁸ If a king is loyal and true, then he will keep his power. His true love will keep his kingdom strong.

²⁹ We admire a young man for his strength. But we respect an old man for his gray hair—\{it shows he lived a full life\}.