Proverbs 23
1 When thou sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently him who is before thee,
When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you:
2 and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite.
And put a knife to your throat, if you be a man given to appetite.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful food.
4 Weary not thyself to be rich. Out of thine own wisdom, cease.
Labour not to be rich: cease from your own wisdom.
5 Will thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For it certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward heaven.
Will you set your eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
6 Eat thou not the bread of an evil eye, nor desire thou his dainties.
Eat you not the bread of him that has an evil eye, neither desire you his dainty meats:
7 For as he thinks within himself, so is he. Eat and drink, he says to thee, but his heart is not with thee.
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, says he to you; but his heart is not with you.
8 The morsel which thou have eaten thou shall vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
The morsel which you have eaten shall you vomit up, and lose your sweet words.
9 Speak not in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark. And enter not into the fields of the fatherless,
Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11 for their Redeemer is strong. He will plead their cause against thee.
For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with you.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Apply your heart unto instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Withhold not correction from the child: for if you beat him with the rod, he shall not die.
You shall beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from hell. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine.
My son, if your heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 Yea, my heart will rejoice when thy lips speak right things.
Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when your lips speak right things.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long.
Let not your heart envy sinners: but be you in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
18 For surely there is a reward, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
For surely there is an end; and your expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
Hear you, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the way.
20 Be not among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of flesh.
Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
22 Hearken to thy father who begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Hearken unto your father that brings forth you, and despise not your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise son will have joy of him.
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that bring forths a wise child shall have joy of him.
25 Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her who bore thee rejoice.
Your father and your mother shall be glad, and she that bare you shall rejoice.
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes delight in my ways.
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch, and an interloping woman is a narrow pit.
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Yea, she lies in wait as a robber, and increases the treacherous among men.
She also lies in wait as for a prey, and increases the transgressors among men.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
Who has woe? who has sorrow? who has contentions? who has babbling? who has wounds without cause? who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who tarry long at the wine. Those who go to seek out mixed wine.
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
Look not you upon the wine when it is red, when it gives his colour in the cup, when it moves itself aright.
32 At the end it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
your eyes shall behold strange women, and your heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Yea, thou shall be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies upon the top of a mast.
Yea, you shall be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lies upon the top of a mast.
35 They have stricken me, thou shall say, and I was not hurt. They have beaten me, and I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
They have stricken me, shall you say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
