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.
put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
Do not be desirous of his dainties, seeing they are deceitful food.
4 Weary not thyself to be rich. Out of thine own wisdom, cease.
Do not weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
5 Will thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For it certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward heaven.
Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
6 Eat thou not the bread of an evil eye, nor desire thou his dainties.
Do not eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and do not crave his delicacies:
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 about the cost, so he is. "Eat and drink." he says 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 you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.
9 Speak not in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Do not speak 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,
Do not move the ancient boundary stone. Do not encroach on the fields of the fatherless:
11 for their Redeemer is strong. He will plead their cause against thee.
for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Apply your heart to 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.
Do not withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine.
My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine:
16 Yea, my heart will rejoice when thy lips speak right things.
yes, my heart will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long.
Do not let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear YHWH all the day long.
18 For surely there is a reward, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path.
20 Be not among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of flesh.
Do not be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat:
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 become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
22 Hearken to thy father who begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise 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 do not sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, 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 has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
25 Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her who bore thee rejoice.
Let your father and your mother be glad. Let her who bore you 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 keep in my ways.
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch, and an interloping woman is a narrow pit.
For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Yea, she lies in wait as a robber, and increases the treacherous among men.
Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful 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 strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Those who tarry long at the wine. Those who go to seek out mixed wine.
Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
32 At the end it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
In the end, it bites like a serpent, and poisons like a viper.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing 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.
Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
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 hit me, and I was not hurt. They beat me, and I do not feel it. When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another."
