Proverbs 20:17
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
American King James Version (AKJV)
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
American Standard Version (ASV)
Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but after, his mouth will be full of sand.
Webster's Revision
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.
English Revised Version (ERV)
Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
Clarke's Proverbs 20:17 Bible Commentary
Bread of deceit is sweet - Property acquired by falsehood, speculation, etc., without labor, is pleasant to the unprincipled, slothful man; but there is a curse in it, and the issue will prove it.
Barnes's Proverbs 20:17 Bible Commentary
"To eat gravel" was a Hebrew Lam 3:16, and is an Arabic, phrase for getting into trouble. So "bread," got by deceit, tastes sweet at first, but ends by leaving the hunger of the soul unsatisfied. There is a pleasure in the sense of cleverness felt after a hard bargain or a successful fraud, which must be met by bidding men look on the after consequences.
