箴言 23
1 幾時你與首長坐席，應記著，在你面前的是誰。
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well him that is before thee;
2 你若過於貪食，應在咽喉上，放上一把刀。
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 休要羨慕他的珍饈，因那是騙人的食品。
Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful food.
4 不要辛苦企求致富，反應放棄這種企圖。
Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
5 你向之一注目，即不再存在了：它會生出翅膀，如鷹向天飛去。
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone; for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
6 不要與虎視眈眈的人進食，也不要羨慕他的山珍海味，
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties;
7 因為他原是只顧自己的人，他口頭雖對你說「請吃請喝! 」但他的心中並不與你友善；
For as one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: 'Eat and drink', saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 你吃下的那口食物，還得吐出；你婉轉悅耳的言辭，盡屬枉費。
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 不要與愚人交耳接談，因他必輕視你的高見。
Speak not in the ears of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 不要移動孀婦的地界，不要侵佔孤兒的田地；
Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless;
11 因為他們的辯護者是大能的，他必為他們的案件與你爭辯。
For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause with thee.
12 你應專心接受教訓，傾耳細聽益智之言。
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 對孩童不可忽略懲戒；用棍打他，他不致死去。
Withhold not correction from the child; for though thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou beatest him with the rod, and wilt deliver his soul from the nether-world. (Sheol h7585)
15 我兒，你若心懷智慧，我也誠心喜樂；
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;
16 你的唇舌若談吐正義的事，我的五衷也必會踴躍歡欣。
Yea, my reins will rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 心裏不要羨慕罪人，卻要日日敬畏上主；
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the LORD all the day;
18 這樣你的將來必然順利，你的希望絕不落空。
For surely there is a future; and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 我兒，你要聽話，作個明智人；且要引領你的心走上正道。
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
20 貪嗜酒肉的人，不可與之來往；
Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous eaters of flesh;
21 因為嗜酒貪食的人，必陷於窮困；貪懶好睡的人，必衣著襤褸。
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
22 對生養你的父親，應當聽從；對你年邁的母親，不可輕視。
Hearken unto thy father that begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 應獲取真理，不可出賣，還有智慧、訓誨和見識。
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 義人的父親，必欣然喜樂；生育慧子的，必為此歡騰。
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
25 應使你的父親因你而喜悅，應使你的生母因你而快樂。
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
26 我兒，將你的心交給我，注目於我的道路：
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 妓女是一個深坑，淫婦是一個陷阱；
For a harlot is a deep ditch; and an alien woman is a narrow pit.
28 她潛伏著，實如強盜，使人世間，增添奸夫。
She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the faithless among men.
29 是誰將哀鳴，是誰將悲嘆﹖是誰將爭吵，是誰將抱怨﹖是誰將無故受傷，是誰將雙目赤紅﹖
Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? who hath contentions? who hath raving? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 是那流連於醉鄉，去搜求醇酒的人。
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
31 你不要注視酒色怎樣紅，在杯中怎樣閃耀，飲下去怎樣痛快!
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it glideth down smoothly;
32 終究它要咬人如蛇，刺人如虺。
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a basilisk.
33 那時，你的眼要見到奇景，你的心要吐出狂語。
Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter confused things.
34 你宛如躺在海中心，睡在桅杆頂。「
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 人打我，我不痛，人捶我，我不覺；我何時甦醒，好再去尋醉! 」
'They have struck me, and I felt it not, they have beaten me, and I knew it not; when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.'
