Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well 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; for they are deceitful food.
Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
4 Weary not thyself to become rich; cease from thine own intelligence:
Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
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.
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 food of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties.
Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies,
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 thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
8 Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou vomit up, and thou wilt have wasted thy sweet words.
You will vomit up the morsel which you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.
9 Speak not in the ears of a foolish [man], for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Don’t 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:
Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their redeemer is mighty; he will plead their cause against thee.
for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
12 Apply thy heart unto 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 beatest him with the rod, he shall not die:
Don’t 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 shall rejoice, even mine;
My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine.
16 and my reins shall exult, 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;
Don’t let your heart envy sinners, but rather fear the LORD all day long.
18 for surely there is a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Thou, my son, hear and be wise, and direct 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 riotous eaters of flesh.
Don’t be amongst 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 clotheth with rags.
for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; wisdom, and instruction, and intelligence.
Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, 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 has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
25 let thy father and thy mother have joy, and let her that 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 observe my ways.
My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the treacherous among men.
Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful amongst men.
29 Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who complaining? Who wounds without cause? Who redness of eyes?
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 — They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
Those who stay long at the wine; those who 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:
Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
32 at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall speak froward things;
Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing 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:
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:
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 hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I don’t feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I will look for more.”
