Proverbs 23
1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;
When thou sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently him who is before thee,
2 put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.
and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Do not be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
Be not desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
4 Do not weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
Weary not thyself to be rich. Out of thine own wisdom, cease.
5 Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
Will thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For it certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward heaven.
6 Do not eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and do not crave his delicacies,
Eat thou not the bread of an evil eye, nor desire thou his dainties.
7 for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
For as he thinks within himself, so is he. Eat and drink, he says to thee, but his heart is not with thee.
8 You will vomit up the morsel which you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.
The morsel which thou have eaten thou shall vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Speak not in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Do not move the ancient boundary stone. Do not encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
Remove not the ancient landmark. And enter not into the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
for their Redeemer is strong. He will plead their cause against thee.
12 Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
Apply thy heart to instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou shall beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine.
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine.
16 Yes, my heart will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
Yea, my heart will rejoice when thy lips speak right things.
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but rather fear the LORD all day long.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long.
18 Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.
For surely there is a reward, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
20 Do not be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat;
Be not among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of flesh.
21 for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Hearken to thy father who begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
Buy the truth, and do not sell it, yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise son will have joy of him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her who bore thee rejoice.
26 My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes delight in my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and an interloping woman is a narrow pit.
28 Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.
Yea, she lies in wait as a robber, and increases the treacherous among men.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
Those who tarry long at the wine. Those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
32 In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
At the end it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
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.
35 “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 will look for more.”
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.
