Counsel in the heart of a man is as deep waters, but the man of discernment is one that will draw it up (Proverbs 20:5)

4 min readSep 29, 2024

Proverbs chapter 20:

“Wine is a ridiculer, intoxicating liquor is boisterous, and everyone going astray by it is not wise.

2 The frightfulness of a king is a growling like that of a maned young lion. Anyone drawing his fury against himself is sinning against his own soul.

3 It is a glory for a man to desist from disputing, but everyone foolish will burst out [in it].

4 Because of winter the lazy one will not plow; he will be begging in reaping time, but there will be nothing.

5 Counsel in the heart of a man is as deep waters, but the man of discernment is one that will draw it up.

6 A multitude of men will proclaim each one his own loving-kindness, but a faithful man who can find?

7 The righteous is walking in his integrity. Happy are his sons after him.

8 The king is sitting upon the throne of judgment, scattering all badness with his own eyes.

9 Who can say: “I have cleansed my heart; I have become pure from my sin”?

10 Two sorts of weights and two sorts of eʹphah measures — they are both of them together something detestable to Jehovah.

11 Even by his practices a boy makes himself recognized as to whether his activity is pure and upright.

12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye — Jehovah himself has made even both of them.

13 Do not love sleep, that you may not come to poverty. Open your eyes; be satisfied with bread.

14 “It is bad, bad!” says the buyer, and he is going his way. Then it is that he boasts about himself.

15 There exists gold, also an abundance of corals; but the lips of knowledge are precious vessels.

16 Take one’s garment, in case one has gone surety for a stranger; and in the instance of a foreign woman, seize from him a pledge.

17 Bread [gained by] falsehood is pleasurable to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

18 By counsel plans themselves are firmly established, and by skillful direction carry on your war.

19 He that is going about as a slanderer is uncovering confidential talk; and with one that is enticed with his lips you must have no fellowship.

20 As for anyone calling down evil upon his father and his mother, his lamp will be extinguished at the approach of darkness.

21 An inheritance is being got by greed at first, but its own future will not be blessed.

22 Do not say: “I will pay back evil!” Hope in Jehovah, and he will save you.

23 Two sorts of weights are something detestable to Jehovah, and a cheating pair of scales is not good.

24 From Jehovah are the steppings of an able-bodied man. As regards earthling man, how can he discern his way?

25 It is a snare when earthling man has rashly cried out, “Holy!” and after vows [he is disposed] to make examination.

26 A wise king is scattering wicked people, and he turns around upon them a wheel.

27 The breath of earthling man is the lamp of Jehovah, carefully searching all the innermost parts of the belly.

28 Loving-kindness and trueness — they safeguard the king; and by loving-kindness he has sustained his throne.

29 The beauty of young men is their power, and the splendor of old men is their gray-headedness.

30 Bruising wounds are what scours away the bad; and strokes, the innermost parts of the belly” (Proverbs chapter 20).

“Wine is a ridiculer, intoxicating liquor is boisterous, and everyone going astray by it is not wise” (verse 1). The Bible does not forbid wine. It forbids drunkenness.

“Counsel in the heart of a man is as deep waters, but the man of discernment is one that will draw it up” (verse 5). The insightful man who knows how to listen, can understand the deep thoughts of people.

“Do not say: “I will pay back evil!” Hope in Jehovah, and he will save you” (Verse 22).

Reading the Bible (Reading and meditating on the biblical book of Proverbs):

English: https://yomelyah.com/435551334/435936045

French: https://yomelijah.com/434579029/435949980

Spanish: https://yomeliah.com/435165580/436032079

Portuguese: https://yomelias.com/435876442/436041507

THE SPIRITUAL MAN (Existential meditation on the biblical book of Ecclesiastes):

English: http://www.yomelyah.com/435966902

French: http://www.yomelijah.com/435950338

Spanish: http://www.yomeliah.com/436032401

Portuguese: http://www.yomelias.com/436041981

The Promise of God. The complete explanation of Genesis 3:15.