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Proverbs 20:3-17

Proverbs 20:3-17 NCV

Foolish people are always fighting, but avoiding quarrels will bring you honor. Lazy farmers don’t plow when they should; they expect a harvest, but there is none. People’s thoughts can be like a deep well, but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there. Many people claim to be loyal, but it is hard to find a trustworthy person. The good people who live honest lives will be a blessing to their children. When a king sits on his throne to judge, he knows evil when he sees it. No one can say, “I am innocent; I have never done anything wrong.” The LORD hates both these things: dishonest weights and dishonest measures. Even children are known by their behavior; their actions show if they are innocent and good. The LORD has made both these things: ears to hear and eyes to see. If you love to sleep, you will be poor. If you stay awake, you will have plenty of food. Buyers say, “This is bad. It’s no good.” Then they go away and brag about what they bought. There is gold and plenty of rubies, but only a few people speak with knowledge. Take the coat of someone who promises to pay a stranger’s debts, and keep it until he pays what the stranger owes. Stolen food may taste sweet at first, but later it will feel like a mouth full of gravel.