Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider diligently him that is before thee;
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider well what is before thee;
2 And put a knife to thy throat, If thou be a man given to appetite.
For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man given to appetite!
3 Be not desirous of his dainties; Seeing they are deceitful food.
Long not for his dainties. For they are deceitful meat.
4 Weary not thyself to be rich; Cease from thine own wisdom.
Toil not to become rich; Cease from this, thy wisdom.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For [riches] certainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
Wilt thou let thine eyes fly toward them? They are gone! For riches truly make to themselves wings; They fly away like the eagle toward heaven.
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, Neither desire thou his dainties:
Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, And long not for his dainties;
7 For as he thinketh within himself, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.
8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, And lose thy sweet words.
The morsel, which thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit up; And thou wilt have thrown away thy 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 thy words.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark; And enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
Remove not the ancient 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 avenger is mighty; He will maintain their cause against thee.
12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Apply thy heart to instruction, And thine 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 a child; If thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Beat him thyself with the rod, And thou shalt rescue him from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart will be glad, even mine:
My son, if thy 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 exult, When thy 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 thy heart envy sinners, But continue thou 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 shall be a reward, And thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And guide thy heart in the way.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise; And let thy heart go forward in the way!
20 Be not among winebibbers, Among gluttonous eaters of flesh:
Be not thou among winebibbers, And 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 will clothe a man with rags.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; [Yea], wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; Buy wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; And he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
The father of a righteous man shall greatly rejoice; Yea, he who begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.
25 Let thy father and thy mother be glad, And let her that bare thee rejoice.
Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, let her that bore thee rejoice!
26 My son, give me thy heart; And let thine eyes delight in my ways.
My son, give me thy heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways!
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch; And a foreign woman is a narrow pit.
For a harlot is a deep ditch; Yea, a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Yea, she lieth in wait as a robber, And increaseth the treacherous among men.
Like a robber she lieth in wait, And increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? Who hath complaining? who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?
Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who anxiety? Who wounds without cause? Who dimness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; They that go to seek out mixed wine.
They that tarry long at the wine; They that go in to seek mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly:
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange things, And thy heart shall utter perverse things.
Thine eyes will look upon strange women, And thy heart will utter perverse things.
34 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.
Yea, thou shalt be as one that lieth down in the midst of the sea, And as one that lieth down upon the top of a mast.
35 They have stricken me, [shalt thou say], and I was not hurt; They have beaten me, and I felt it not: When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
They have stricken me [[shalt thou say]], —I suffered no pain! They have beaten me, —I felt it not! When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
