Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well who is before thee;
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently him that is before thee;
2 and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties; for they are deceitful food.
Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful meat.
4 Weary not thyself to become rich; cease from thine own intelligence:
Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
5 wilt thou set thine eyes upon it, it is gone; for indeed it maketh itself wings and it flieth away as an eagle towards the heavens.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
6 Eat thou not the food of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties.
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties:
7 For as he thinketh in his soul, so is he. Eat and drink! will he say unto thee; but his heart is not with thee.
For as he reckoneth within himself, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou vomit up, and thou wilt have wasted thy sweet words.
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 Speak not in the ears of a foolish [man], for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Speak not in the hearing 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 mighty; he will plead their cause against thee.
For their redeemer is strong; he shall plead their cause against thee.
12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the child; for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die:
Withhold not correction from the child: [for] if thou beat him with the rod, he shall not die.
Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine;
My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall be glad, even mine:
16 and my reins shall exult, when thy lips speak right things.
Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day;
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but [be thou] in the fear of the LORD all the day long:
18 for surely there is a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
For surely there is a reward; and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 Thou, my son, hear and be wise, and direct thy heart in the way.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
20 Be not among winebibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh.
Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous eaters of flesh:
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth with rags.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe [a man] with rags.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; wisdom, and instruction, and intelligence.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; [yea], wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of a righteous [man] shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise [son] shall have joy of him:
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
25 let thy father and thy mother have joy, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bare thee rejoice.
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes delight in my ways.
27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the treacherous among men.
Yea, she lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who complaining? Who wounds without cause? Who redness of eyes?
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath complaining? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 — They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkleth in the cup, and goeth down smoothly:
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour 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 women, and thy heart shall speak froward things;
Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thine heart shall utter froward things.
34 and thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, and as he that lieth down upon the top of a mast:
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.
35 — “They have smitten me, [and] I am not sore; they have beaten me, [and] I knew it not. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”
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.
