20:3A person who is truly confident of his or her strength does not need to parade it. A truly brave person does not look for chances to prove it. A resourceful person can find a way out of a fight and avoid retaliating. Foolish people find it impossible to avoid strife. Men and women of character can. What kind of person are you?
Life Application Study BibleProverbsChapter 20
Proverbs 20
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1036, 1037, 1038
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
20Proverbs 20
12 0 1 Wine produces mockKers; alcohol leads to brawis. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise.
2The king's fury is like a lion’s roar;to rouse his anger is to risk your life.
3Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor;only fools insist on quarreling.
4Those too lazy to plow in the right seasonwill have no food at the harvest.
5Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out.
6Many will say they are loyal friends,but who can find one who is truly reliable?
7The godly walk with integrity;blessed are their children who follow them.
8When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence, distinguishing the bad from the good.
9Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart;I am pure and free from sin”?
10False weights and unequal measures*— the LORD detests double standards of every kind. 11Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.
12Ears to hear and eyes to see—both are gifts from the LORD.
13Tf you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat! 14The buyer haggles over the price, saying, “It’s worthless,” then brags about getting a bargain!
15Wise words are more valuablethan much gold and many rubies.
16Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger's debt. Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.*
17Stolen bread tastes sweet,but it turns to gravel in the mouth.
18Plans succeed through good counsel;don’t go to war without wise advice.18 A gossip goes around telling secrets,so don’t hang around with chaitterers.
20If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness.
21An inheritance obtained too early in lifeis not a blessing in the end.
22Don't say, “I will get even for this wrong.”Wait for the LORD to handle the matter.
23The LORD detests double standards;he is not pleased by dishonest scales.
24The LORD directs our steps,so why try to understand everything along the way?
25Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost.
26A wise king scatters the wicked like wheat,then runs his threshing wheel over them.
27The LORD’s light penetrates the human spirit,*exposing every hidden motive.
28Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king;his throne is made secure through love.
29The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.
30Physical punishment cleanses away evil;*such discipline purifies the heart.
Textual footnotes
- 20:10 Hebrew A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah.
- 20:27 Or The human spirit is the LORD’s light.
- 20:30 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
Life Application Notes 7 notes
20:4You've heard simitar warnings: If you don’t study, you'll fail the test; if you don’t save, you won't havé money when you need it. God wants us to anticipate tuture needs and prepare for them. We can’t expect him to come to our rescue when we cause our own problems through lack of planning and action. He provides for us, but he also expects us to be responsible.
20:9No one is without sin. As soon as we confess our sin and repent, sinful thoughts and actions begin to creep back into our minds and hearts. We all need ongoing cleansing, moment by moment. Thank God he provides forgiveness by his mercy when we ask for it. Make confession and repentance a regular part of your talks with God. Rely on him moment by moment for the cleansing you need.
20:16An alternate reading in the Hebrew text is for a promiscuous woman. Others’ Opinions Leaders value those who speak honestly in the end most people will appreciate truth more than flattery.... Quality of Life The godly person’s plans are just Honest witnesses do not lie; false witnesses breathe lies....... Truthful witnesses save lives; false witnesses are traitors....... The children of the righteous are blessed.................00. God's Opinion God delights in honesty... 0.0.06... cee eee God delights in those who are truthful... 66.0... eee eee God despises double standards....... 0.0 e eee cece e eens God is pleased when we do what is right and just.............
20:23“Dishonest scales” refers to the joaded scales a merchant might use in order to cheat customers. Dishonesty is a difficult sin to avoid. It is easy to cheat if we think no one is looking. But dishonesty affects the very core of a person. It makes him untrustworthy and untrusting. It eventually makes him unable to know himself or relate to others. Don't take dishonesty lightly. Even the smallest portion of dishonesty contains enough of the poison of deceit to kill your spiritual life. If there is any dishonesty in your life, tell God about it now.
20:24We are often confused by the events around us. Some things we will never understand until years later when we look back and see how God was working. This proverb counsels us to not worry if we don’t understand everything as it happens. Instead, we should trust that God knows what he’s doing, even if his timing or design is not clear to us. See Psalm 37:23 for a reassuring promise of God’s direction in your life.
20:25This proverb points out the danger of making a promise rashly and then reconsidering it. God takes promises seriously and requires that they be carried out (Deuteronomy 23:21-23). We often have good intentions when making a promise because we want to show God that we are determined to please him. Jesus, however, says it is better not to make promises to God because he knows how difficult they are to keep (Matthew 5:33-37). If you still feel it is important to make a promise, make sure that you weigh the consequences of breaking it. (In Judges 11, Jephthah made a rash promise to sacrifice the first thing he saw on his return home.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Study feature · page 1037
HONESTY AND DISHONESTY Proverbs tells us plainly that God despises all forms of dishonesty. Not only does God hate dishonesty, but we are told that it works against us—others no longer trust us, and we cannot even enjoy our dishonest gains. It is wiser to be honest because “the godly escape such trouble” (12:13).
Short-Term Results
Tainted wealth has no lasting value.. 6.1... eee eee
The godly are rescued from trouble 0.0.0... cee eee eee The wicked are trapped by their own words Fraudulent gain is sweet only for a short while
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Study feature · page 1038
As it happened, he saw his daughter first.) It is better not to make promises than to make them and then later not keep them. It is best to count the cost beforehand and then to fulfill them. (For a list of other Bible people who made rash promises, see the chart in Judges 11, p. 377.) 21:1 In Solomon’s cay, kings possessed absolute authority and were often considered to be like gods. This proverb shows that God has ultimate authority over world rulers. Although they may not have realized it, the earth's most powerful kings have always been under God's control. (See Isaiah 10:5-8 for an example of a pagan king who was used for God’s purposes.) 21:2 People may mistakenly think they are doing right, but God sees the motives of their hearts. We often have to make choices in areas where the right action is difficult to discern. We can help ourselves make such decisions by trying to identify our motives first and then asking, Would God be pleased with my real reasons for doing this? God is not pleased when we do good deeds only to receive something in return. 21:3 Sacrifices are not bribes to make God overlook our character faults. We can’t exchange good behavior in one area for bad behavior in another. If our personal and business dealings are not characterized by justice, no amount of generosity when the offering plate is passed will make up for it. 21:5 Faithful completion of one’s work is a great accomplishment. Being a diligent worker does not come naturally to some people; it is a result of strong character. Don't look for shortcuts that result in inefficiency. Work hard as if in the service of God.