Proverbs 20:5

Counsel ¹  in a person’s heart ²  is like ³  deep water, ⁴  but an understanding person ⁵  draws it out.

The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.

A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out.

Though good advice lies deep within a person’s heart, the wise will draw it out.

Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within.

The purpose in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of good sense will get it out.

The purposes in the human mind are like deep water, but the intelligent will draw them out.

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out.

Counsel ¹  in a person’s heart ²  is like ³  deep water, ⁴  but an understanding person ⁵  draws it out.

¹ sn The noun means “advice, counsel”; it can have the connotation of planning or making decisions. Those with understanding can sort out plans.

² tn Heb “in the heart of a man”; NRSV “in the human mind.”

³ tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.

⁴ sn The motives or plans of a person are “difficult to fathom”; it takes someone with understanding to discover and surface them (the verb in the last colon continues the figure with the sense of bringing the plans to the surface and sorting them out).

⁵ tn Heb “a man of understanding”; TEV “someone with insight”; NLT “the wise.”