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Proverbs 20 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

Pro 20:1

Pro 20:1Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls.
Those led astray by drink cannot be wise.

Pro 20:2

Pro 20:2The king’s fury is like a lion’s roar;
to rouse his anger is to risk your life.

Pro 20:3

Pro 20:3Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor;
only fools insist on quarreling.

Pro 20:4

Pro 20:4Those too lazy to plow in the right season
will have no food at the harvest.

Pro 20:5

Pro 20:5Though good advice lies deep within the heart,
a person with understanding will draw it out.

Pro 20:6

Pro 20:6Many will say they are loyal friends,
but who can find one who is truly reliable?

Pro 20:7

Pro 20:7The godly walk with integrity;
blessed are their children who follow them.

Pro 20:8

Pro 20:8When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence,
distinguishing the bad from the good.

Pro 20:9

Pro 20:9Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart;
I am pure and free from sin”?

Pro 20:10

Pro 20:10False weights and unequal measures[fn]—
the LORD detests double standards of every kind.

Pro 20:11

Pro 20:11Even children are known by the way they act,
whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.

Pro 20:12

Pro 20:12Ears to hear and eyes to see—
both are gifts from the LORD.

Pro 20:13

Pro 20:13If you love sleep, you will end in poverty.
Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!

Pro 20:14

Pro 20:14The buyer haggles over the price, saying, “It’s worthless,”
then brags about getting a bargain!

Pro 20:15

Pro 20:15Wise words are more valuable
than much gold and many rubies.

Pro 20:16

Pro 20:16Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt.
Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.[fn]

Pro 20:17

Pro 20:17Stolen bread tastes sweet,
but it turns to gravel in the mouth.

Pro 20:18

Pro 20:18Plans succeed through good counsel;
don’t go to war without wise advice.

Pro 20:19

Pro 20:19A gossip goes around telling secrets,
so don’t hang around with chatterers.

Pro 20:20

Pro 20:20If you insult your father or mother,
your light will be snuffed out in total darkness.

Pro 20:21

Pro 20:21An inheritance obtained too early in life
is not a blessing in the end.

Pro 20:22

Pro 20:22Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.”
Wait for the LORD to handle the matter.

Pro 20:23

Pro 20:23The LORD detests double standards;
he is not pleased by dishonest scales.

Pro 20:24

Pro 20:24The LORD directs our steps,
so why try to understand everything along the way?

Pro 20:25

Pro 20:25Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God
and only later counting the cost.

Pro 20:26

Pro 20:26A wise king scatters the wicked like wheat,
then runs his threshing wheel over them.

Pro 20:27

Pro 20:27The LORD’s light penetrates the human spirit,[fn]
exposing every hidden motive.

Pro 20:28

Pro 20:28Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king;
his throne is made secure through love.

Pro 20:29

Pro 20:29The glory of the young is their strength;
the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.

Pro 20:30

Pro 20:30Physical punishment cleanses away evil;[fn]
such discipline purifies the heart.
See the NLT Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NLT Footnotes
Hebrew A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah.
An alternate reading in the Masoretic Text is for a promiscuous woman.
Or The human spirit is the LORD’s light.
The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
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For more information on this translation, see the NLT Preface.

Proverbs Chapter 20 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New International Version English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras