Proverbs 20:17
New International Version
Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.

New Living Translation
Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth.

English Standard Version
Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.

Berean Standard Bible
Food gained by fraud is sweet to a man, but later his mouth is full of gravel.

King James Bible
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

New King James Version
Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

New American Standard Bible
Bread obtained by a lie is sweet to a person, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

NASB 1995
Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

NASB 1977
Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

Legacy Standard Bible
Bread obtained by lying is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

Amplified Bible
Food gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel [just as sin may be sweet at first, but later its consequences bring despair].

Christian Standard Bible
Food gained by fraud is sweet to a person, but afterward his mouth is full of gravel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Food gained by fraud is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth is full of gravel.

American Standard Version
Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Contemporary English Version
The food you get by cheating may taste delicious, but it turns to gravel.

English Revised Version
Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Food gained dishonestly tastes sweet to a person, but afterwards his mouth will be filled with gravel.

Good News Translation
What you get by dishonesty you may enjoy like the finest food, but sooner or later it will be like a mouthful of sand.

International Standard Version
Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but later his mouth will be full of gravel.

Majority Standard Bible
Food gained by fraud is sweet to a man, but later his mouth is full of gravel.

NET Bible
Bread gained by deceit tastes sweet to a person, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

New Heart English Bible
Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.

Webster's Bible Translation
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

World English Bible
Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The bread of falsehood [is] sweet to a man, "" And afterward his mouth is filled [with] gravel.

Young's Literal Translation
Sweet to a man is the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled with gravel.

Smith's Literal Translation
Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; and afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The bread of lying is sweet to a man: but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The bread of lies is sweet to a man. But afterwards, his mouth will be filled with pebbles.

New American Bible
Bread earned by deceit is sweet, but afterward the mouth is filled with gravel.

New Revised Standard Version
Bread gained by deceit is sweet, but afterward the mouth will be full of gravel.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He who becomes surety for a man by means of deceitful gain will afterwards have his mouth filled with gravel.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He pledges security to a man with deceitful bread, and after that, his mouth will be filled with pebbles.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wine is a Mocker
16Take the garment of the one who posts security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for a foreigner. 17Food gained by fraud is sweet to a man, but later his mouth is full of gravel. 18Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.…

Cross References
Proverbs 9:17-18
“Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is tasty!” / But they do not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Proverbs 10:2
Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.

Proverbs 21:6
Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit.

Proverbs 23:3-4
Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive. / Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.

Proverbs 28:20
A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 28:22
A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty awaits him.

Job 20:12-15
Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue, / though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth, / yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him. ...

Jeremiah 17:11
Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”

Micah 6:10-13
Can I forget any longer, O house of the wicked, the treasures of wickedness and the short ephah, which is accursed? / Can I excuse dishonest scales or bags of false weights? / For the wealthy of the city are full of violence, and its residents speak lies; their tongues are deceitful in their mouths. ...

Isaiah 44:20
He feeds on ashes. His deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”

Hosea 12:7-8
A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands. / And Ephraim boasts: “How rich I have become! I have found wealth for myself. In all my labors, they can find in me no iniquity that is sinful.”

Matthew 7:15-20
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. / By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? / Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ...

Matthew 16:26
What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Luke 12:15-21
And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” / Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. / So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ ...

Luke 16:19-31
Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor. / And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores / and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. ...


Treasury of Scripture

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

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Afterward Afterwards Bread Deceit Ends Falsehood Filled Food Fraud Fraudulent Full Gained Gravel Mouth Obtained Sand Sweet Tastes
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Proverbs 20
1. Proper Living














Bread gained by deceit
The phrase "Bread gained by deceit" refers to the acquisition of sustenance or wealth through dishonest means. In the Hebrew text, the word for "deceit" is "sheqer," which implies falsehood or deception. Historically, deceitful practices were condemned in ancient Israelite society, as they undermined the community's trust and violated God's commandments. The Bible consistently warns against dishonest gain, emphasizing integrity and righteousness. This phrase serves as a reminder that while deceit may offer temporary satisfaction, it ultimately leads to spiritual and moral decay.

is sweet to a man
The sweetness mentioned here is metaphorical, suggesting that deceitful gains can initially seem pleasurable or rewarding. The Hebrew word "matok" conveys a sense of pleasantness or delight. This reflects the human tendency to be enticed by immediate gratification, even when it comes through unethical means. The allure of sin is often depicted in Scripture as temporarily satisfying, yet ultimately destructive. This phrase warns believers to be wary of the fleeting pleasure that sin offers, as it can lead one away from God's truth and righteousness.

but afterward his mouth is full of gravel
The imagery of a mouth full of gravel starkly contrasts with the initial sweetness, symbolizing the eventual consequences of deceit. The Hebrew word "ḥaṣaṣ" refers to small stones or gravel, which would be unpleasant and damaging if consumed. This vivid metaphor illustrates the inevitable bitterness and discomfort that follow dishonest actions. In a broader biblical context, this serves as a cautionary tale about the repercussions of sin. The temporary sweetness of deceit is replaced by the harsh reality of its consequences, urging believers to pursue honesty and integrity in all their dealings.

Verse 17. - Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; Revised Version, bread of falsehood; i.e. bread gained without labour, or by unrighteous means (comp. Proverbs 10:2). This is agreeable because it is easily won, and has the relish of forbidden fruit. "Wickedness is sweet in his mouth" (Job 20:12). But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. He will find in his "bread" no nourishment, but rather discomfort and positive injury (comp. Job 20:14). The expression, "to eat gravel," is intimated in Lamentations 3:16, "He hath broken my teeth with gravel stones;" it implies grievous disappointment and unprofitableness. See here a warning against evil plesaures -

Φεῦγ ἡδονὴν φέρουσαν ὕστερον βλάβην

"Sperne voluptates: nocet empta dolore voluptas." Oort supposes that the gnome in the text is derived from a riddle, which asked, "What is sweet at first, but afterwards like sand in the mouth?"

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Food
לֶ֣חֶם (le·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

gained by fraud
שָׁ֑קֶר (šā·qer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8267: Deception, disappointment, falsehood

is sweet
עָרֵ֣ב (‘ā·rêḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6149: To be sweet or pleasing

to a man,
לָ֭אִישׁ (lā·’îš)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

but later
וְ֝אַחַ֗ר (wə·’a·ḥar)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

his mouth
פִ֥יהוּ (p̄î·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

is full of
יִמָּֽלֵא־ (yim·mā·lê-)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

gravel.
חָצָֽץ׃ (ḥā·ṣāṣ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2687: Something cutting, gravel, an arrow


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 20:17 Fraudulent food is sweet to a man (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 20:16
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