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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
He pledges security to a man with deceitful bread, and after that, his mouth will be filled with pebbles.

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

Douay-Rheims Bible
The bread of lying is sweet to a man: but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with 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.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Literal Standard Version
The bread of falsehood [is] sweet to a man, | And afterward his mouth is filled [with] gravel.

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

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

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

New Revised Standard Version
Bread gained by deceit is sweet, but afterward the mouth will be full of 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.

Young's Literal Translation
Sweet to a man is the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth 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
"Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is tasty!"

Proverbs 20:16
Take the garment of the one who posts security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for a foreigner.

Lamentations 3:16
He has ground my teeth with gravel and trampled me in the dust.


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














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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