Proverbs 20 (Mishlei) in Hebrew and English

20:1Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

אלֵ֣ץ הַ֭יַּין הֹמֶ֣ה שֵׁכָ֑ר וְכָל־שֹׁ֥גֶה בּ֝֗וֹ לֹ֣א יֶחְכָּֽם׃

20:2The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provokes him to anger sins against his own soul.

בנַ֣הַם כַּ֭כְּפִיר אֵ֣ימַת מֶ֑לֶךְ מִ֝תְעַבְּר֗וֹ חוֹטֵ֥א נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

20:3It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

גכָּב֣וֹד לָ֭אִישׁ שֶׁ֣בֶת מֵרִ֑יב וְכָל־אֱ֝וִ֗יל יִתְגַּלָּֽע׃

20:4The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

דמֵ֭חֹרֶף עָצֵ֣ל לֹא־יַחֲרֹ֑שׁ וְשָׁאַ֖ל (כתיב ישאל) בַּקָּצִ֣יר וָאָֽיִן׃

20:5Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

המַ֣יִם עֲ֭מֻקִּים עֵצָ֣ה בְלֶב־אִ֑ישׁ וְאִ֖ישׁ תְּבוּנָ֣ה יִדְלֶֽנָּה׃

20:6Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

ורָב־אָדָ֗ם יִ֭קְרָא אִ֣ישׁ חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים מִ֣י יִמְצָֽא׃

20:7The just man walks in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

זמִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ בְּתֻמּ֣וֹ צַדִּ֑יק אַשְׁרֵ֖י בָנָ֣יו אַחֲרָֽיו׃

20:8A king that sits in the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.

חמֶ֗לֶךְ יוֹשֵׁ֥ב עַל־כִּסֵּא־דִ֑ין מְזָרֶ֖ה בְעֵינָ֣יו כָּל־רָֽע׃

20:9Who can say, “I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin”?

טמִֽי־יֹ֭אמַר זִכִּ֣יתִי לִבִּ֑י טָ֝הַ֗רְתִּי מֵחַטָּאתִֽי׃

20:10Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to Hashem.

יאֶ֣בֶן וָ֭אֶבֶן אֵיפָ֣ה וְאֵיפָ֑ה תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת יְ֝הוָ֗ה גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃

20:11Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

יאגַּ֣ם בְּ֭מַעֲלָלָיו יִתְנַכֶּר־נָ֑עַר אִם־זַ֖ךְ וְאִם־יָשָׁ֣ר פָּעֳלֽוֹ׃

20:12The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Hashem has made even both of them.

יבאֹ֣זֶן שֹׁ֭מַעַת וְעַ֣יִן רֹאָ֑ה יְ֝הוָ֗ה עָשָׂ֥ה גַם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃

20:13Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.

יגאַל־תֶּֽאֱהַ֣ב שֵׁ֭נָה פֶּן־תִּוָּרֵ֑שׁ פְּקַ֖ח עֵינֶ֣יךָ שְֽׂבַֽע־לָֽחֶם׃

20:14“It is naught, it is naught,” says the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.

ידרַ֣ע רַ֭ע יֹאמַ֣ר הַקּוֹנֶ֑ה וְאֹזֵ֥ל ל֝֗וֹ אָ֣ז יִתְהַלָּֽל׃

20:15There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

טויֵ֣שׁ זָ֭הָב וְרָב־פְּנִינִ֑ים וּכְלִ֥י יְ֝קָ֗ר שִׂפְתֵי־דָֽעַת׃

20:16Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

טזלְֽקַח־בִּ֭גְדוֹ כִּי־עָ֣רַב זָ֑ר וּבְעַ֖ד נָכְרִיָּ֣ה (כתיב נכרים) חַבְלֵֽהוּ׃

20:17Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

יזעָרֵ֣ב לָ֭אִישׁ לֶ֣חֶם שָׁ֑קֶר וְ֝אַחַ֗ר יִמָּֽלֵא־פִ֥יהוּ חָצָֽץ׃

20:18Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

יחמַ֭חֲשָׁבוֹת בְּעֵצָ֣ה תִכּ֑וֹן וּ֝בְתַחְבֻּל֗וֹת עֲשֵׂ֣ה מִלְחָמָֽה׃

20:19He that goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flatters with his lips.

יטגּֽוֹלֶה־סּ֭וֹד הוֹלֵ֣ךְ רָכִ֑יל וּלְפֹתֶ֥ה שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִתְעָרָֽב׃

20:20Whoso curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

כמְ֭קַלֵּל אָבִ֣יו וְאִמּ֑וֹ יִֽדְעַ֥ךְ נֵ֝ר֗וֹ בֶּאֱשׁ֥וּן (כתיב באישון) חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

20:21An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

כאנַ֭חֲלָה מְבֹהֶ֣לֶת (כתיב מבחלת) בָּרִאשֹׁנָ֑ה וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּ לֹ֣א תְבֹרָֽךְ׃

20:22Say not you, “I will recompense evil”; but wait on Hashem, and He shall save you.

כבאַל־תֹּאמַ֥ר אֲשַׁלְּמָה־רָ֑ע קַוֵּ֥ה לַֽ֝יהוָ֗ה וְיֹ֣שַֽׁע לָֽךְ׃

20:23Divers weights are an abomination unto Hashem; and a false balance is not good.

כגתּוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה אֶ֣בֶן וָאָ֑בֶן וּמֹאזְנֵ֖י מִרְמָ֣ה לֹא־טֽוֹב׃

20:24Man’s goings are of Hashem; how can a man then understand his own way?

כדמֵיהוָ֥ה מִצְעֲדֵי־גָ֑בֶר וְ֝אָדָ֗ם מַה־יָּבִ֥ין דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃

20:25It is a snare to the man who devours that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry.

כהמוֹקֵ֣שׁ אָ֭דָם יָ֣לַע קֹ֑דֶשׁ וְאַחַ֖ר נְדָרִ֣ים לְבַקֵּֽר׃

20:26A wise king scatters the wicked, and brings the wheel over them.

כומְזָרֶ֣ה רְ֭שָׁעִים מֶ֣לֶךְ חָכָ֑ם וַיָּ֖שֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם אוֹפָֽן׃

20:27The spirit of man is the candle of Hashem, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

כזנֵ֣ר יְ֭הוָה נִשְׁמַ֣ת אָדָ֑ם חֹ֝פֵ֗שׂ כָּל־חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃

20:28Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.

כחחֶ֣סֶד וֶ֭אֱמֶת יִצְּרוּ־מֶ֑לֶךְ וְסָעַ֖ד בַּחֶ֣סֶד כִּסְאֽוֹ׃

20:29The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.

כטתִּפְאֶ֣רֶת בַּחוּרִ֣ים כֹּחָ֑ם וַהֲדַ֖ר זְקֵנִ֣ים שֵׂיבָֽה׃

20:30The blueness of a wound cleanses away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

לחַבֻּר֣וֹת פֶּ֭צַע תַּמְר֣וּק (כתיב תמריק) בְּרָ֑ע וּ֝מַכּ֗וֹת חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃