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 diligently what is before thee:
2 你若過於貪食，應在咽喉上，放上一把刀。
For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
3 休要羨慕他的珍饈，因那是騙人的食品。
Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
4 不要辛苦企求致富，反應放棄這種企圖。
Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
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。
When thou lettest merely thy eyes fly over it, it is no more: for it will ever make itself wings: like an eagle will it fly 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 not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory meats;
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 though there were a division in his soul, so doth he act: 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。
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
9 不要與愚人交耳接談，因他必輕視你的高見。
Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence 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 into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
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 indeed 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 thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
13 對孩童不可忽略懲戒；用棍打他，他不致死去。
Withhold not from a lad correction; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou wilt indeed beat him with the rod; but thou wilt deliver his soul from perdition. (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 shall rejoice, 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。
And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
17 心裏不要羨慕罪人，卻要日日敬畏上主；
Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
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 will 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 become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
20 貪嗜酒肉的人，不可與之來往；
Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating 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 will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in 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 hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be 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 be greatly glad, and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy through 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 [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
26 我兒，將你的心交給我，注目於我的道路：
Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch 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 a strange woman is a narrow well.
28 她潛伏著，實如強盜，使人世間，增添奸夫。
She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous 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 hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath quarrels? who hath complaints? 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 late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
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!
Do not look on the wine when it looketh red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it glideth down so readily.
32 終究它要咬人如蛇，刺人如虺。
At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
33 那時，你的眼要見到奇景，你的心要吐出狂語。
Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
34 你宛如躺在海中心，睡在桅杆頂。「
And thou wilt be like one that lieth down in the heart of the sea, or as he that lieth on 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 smote me, [but] I suffered no pain; they struck me hard, [but] I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will continue to seek it again.”
