Proverbs 23
1 When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with care to what is before you;
你若與官長坐席， 要留意在你面前的是誰。
2 And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.
你若是貪食的， 就當拿刀放在喉嚨上。
3 Have no desire for his delicate food, for it is the bread of deceit.
不可貪戀他的美食， 因為是哄人的食物。
4 Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money.
不要勞碌求富， 休仗自己的聰明。
5 Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.
你豈要定睛在虛無的錢財上嗎？ 因錢財必長翅膀，如鷹向天飛去。
6 Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:
不要吃惡眼人的飯， 也不要貪他的美味；
7 For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.
因為他心怎樣思量， 他為人就是怎樣。 他雖對你說，請吃，請喝， 他的心卻與你相背。
8 The food which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be wasted.
你所吃的那點食物必吐出來； 你所說的甘美言語也必落空。
9 Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.
你不要說話給愚昧人聽， 因他必藐視你智慧的言語。
10 Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;
不可挪移古時的地界， 也不可侵入孤兒的田地；
11 For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against you.
因他們的救贖主大有能力， 他必向你為他們辨屈。
12 Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
你要留心領受訓誨， 側耳聽從知識的言語。
13 Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.
不可不管教孩童； 你用杖打他，他必不至於死。
你要用杖打他， 就可以救他的靈魂免下陰間。 (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart;
我兒，你心若存智慧， 我的心也甚歡喜。
16 And my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things.
你的嘴若說正直話， 我的心腸也必快樂。
17 Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;
你心中不要嫉妒罪人， 只要終日敬畏耶和華；
18 For without doubt there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
因為至終必有善報， 你的指望也不致斷絕。
19 Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.
我兒，你當聽，當存智慧， 好在正道上引導你的心。
20 Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat:
好飲酒的，好吃肉的， 不要與他們來往；
21 For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.
因為好酒貪食的，必致貧窮； 好睡覺的，必穿破爛衣服。
22 Give ear to your father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when she is old.
你要聽從生你的父親； 你母親老了，也不可藐視她。
23 Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.
你當買真理； 就是智慧、訓誨，和聰明也都不可賣。
24 The father of the upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because of him.
義人的父親必大得快樂； 人生智慧的兒子，必因他歡喜。
25 Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.
你要使父母歡喜， 使生你的快樂。
26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take delight in my ways.
我兒，要將你的心歸我； 你的眼目也要喜悅我的道路。
27 For a loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange woman is a narrow water-hole.
妓女是深坑； 外女是窄阱。
28 Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men.
她埋伏好像強盜； 她使人中多有奸詐的。
29 Who says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark?
誰有禍患？誰有憂愁？ 誰有爭鬥？誰有哀歎？ 誰無故受傷？誰眼目紅赤？
30 Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine.
就是那流連飲酒、 常去尋找調和酒的人。
31 Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down:
酒發紅，在杯中閃爍， 你不可觀看， 雖然下咽舒暢， 終久是咬你如蛇，刺你如毒蛇。
32 In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.
33 Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things.
你眼必看見異怪的事； 你心必發出乖謬的話。
34 Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.
你必像躺在海中， 或像臥在桅杆上。
35 They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.
你必說：人打我，我卻未受傷； 人鞭打我，我竟不覺得。 我幾時清醒，我仍去尋酒。
