Proverbs 20 (Contemporary English Version)
- It isn't smart to get drunk! Drinking makes a fool of you and leads to fights.
- An angry ruler is like a roaring lion-- make either one angry, and you are dead.
- It makes you look good when you avoid a fight-- only fools love to quarrel.
- If you are too lazy to plow, don't expect a harvest.
- Someone's thoughts may be as deep as the ocean, but if you are smart, you will discover them.
- There are many who say, "You can trust me!" But can they be trusted?
- Good people live right, and God blesses the children who follow their example.
- When rulers decide cases, they weigh the evidence.
- Can any of us really say, "My thoughts are pure, and my sins are gone"?
- Two things the LORD hates are dishonest scales and dishonest measures.
- The good or bad that children do shows what they are like.
- Hearing and seeing are gifts from the LORD.
- If you sleep all the time, you will starve; if you get up and work, you will have enough food.
- Everyone likes to brag about getting a bargain.
- Sensible words are better than gold or jewels.
- You deserve to lose your coat if you loan it to someone to guarantee payment for the debt of a stranger.
- The food you get by cheating may taste delicious, but it turns to gravel.
- Be sure you have sound advice before making plans or starting a war.
- Stay away from gossips-- they tell everything.
- Children who curse their parents will go to the land of darkness long before their time.
- Getting rich quick may turn out to be a curse.
- Don't try to get even. Trust the LORD, and he will help you.
- The LORD hates dishonest scales and dishonest weights. So don't cheat!
- How can we know what will happen to us when the LORD alone decides?
- Don't fall into the trap of making promises to God before you think!
- A wise ruler severely punishes every criminal.
- Our inner thoughts are a lamp from the LORD, and they search our hearts.
- Rulers are protected by God's mercy and loyalty, but they must be merciful for their kingdoms to last.
- Young people take pride in their strength, but the gray hairs of wisdom are even more beautiful.
- A severe beating can knock all of the evil out of you!
As for disputes, Solomon says it is honorable to resolve them. Further, he says any fool can get into a quarrel. Though we may argue that we must save our honor by quarreling, Solomon is saying the honor is found in resolving the dispute, not in quarreling. If vengeance becomes involved, this should be left to the Lord. This is in keeping with Deuteronomy 32:35. Loosely connected to this topic of disputes is the counsel that men, even young men, are known by their actions. This could actually fit into most any topic, but I believe most fitting with this one. A young man who is always quarreling gains a reputation which will be harder to live down than it was to attain.
Next is the topic of integrity and trustworthiness. Solomon says it is hard to find, but the person who has it is righteous. This would suggest that a person of integrity will stand head and shoulders above people around them. Why is it so hard to find? I suspect it is because it requires consistent actions, even when we don't feel like it, and because it sometimes requires tough choices. What is right in a situation is not always what is easiest. We tend to default to the easiest choice in a situation, but this is not integrity.
Another topic is getting counsel. Solomon says in verse 5, "Counsel in a man's heart is deep water; but a man of understanding draws it up." Further, he says in verse 18, "Finalize plans through counsel, and wage war with sound guidance." How prone are any of us to seek counsel when making plans? I believe Solomon would say, "only the man of understanding". Our thinking, however, tends to go in the opposite direction. We think the man of understanding doesn't need counsel. But such a person recognizes their limitations and seeks the counsel. That is probably one reason we are not prone to get counsel for our plans - we don't admit our limitations. Another reason may be that once we have a plan in mind we are afraid someone from whom we seek counsel will tell us they won't work. Either our ego can't take the hit or we are so invested in the plans we don't want to change them, even if wise counsel tells us otherwise.
Laziness is the next topic. Most chapters in Proverbs will have something to say about this topic. In this case, Solomon says the slacker, or lazy person, fails to do the work to plant a crop, but still expects a crop. This comes close to the Einstein definition of insanity, "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Only, in this case it is doing nothing and expecting results. Also on laziness, Solomon says in verse 13, "Don't love sleep, or you will become poor; open your eyes, and you'll have enough to eat." How much of poverty is related to laziness? We shouldn't assume each case is one of laziness, and yet without knowing the situation we can't assume otherwise. To provide assistance in the case of laziness is to encourage and promote it.
Another topic in this chapter is knowledgeable speech. Solomon refers to it as knowledgeable lips, and he says it is a rare treasure. In contrast to this is the person with a big mouth. Solomon says we should avoid such persons. They reveal secrets and are a constant gossip. The rarity of knowledgeable speech may have some connection to laziness. It is so rare because people do not, as a whole, seek knowledge on a subject before speaking or reflect on the knowledge they have to draw wise conclusions about it. It is easier to repeat what we hear from others without considering or checking the accuracy of it.
Finally, is the topic of God's sovereignty. Solomon has touched on this before. He says in verse 24, "A man's steps are determined by the LORD, so how can anyone understand his own way?" What did Solomon not say here that might be inferred? He didn't say, "So don't presume to understand your own way." It is popular these days to speak of controlling our own destinies. Now this statement may not always be intended as presumptuously as it sounds, but it is presumptuous. It is true that by making wise choices we can avoid certain outcomes, but in the end, we still have no control over our destinies. They are in God's hands who made "The hearing ear and the seeing eye." (verse 12)
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