Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eate with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee,
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider well what is before thee;
2 And put the knife to thy throte, if thou be a man giuen to the appetite.
For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man given to appetite!
3 Be not desirous of his deintie meates: for it is a deceiuable meate.
Long not for his dainties. For they are deceitful meat.
4 Trauaile not too much to be rich: but cease from thy wisdome.
Toil not to become rich; Cease from this, thy wisdom.
5 Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon it, which is nothing? for riches taketh her to her wings, as an eagle, and flyeth into the heauen.
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 Eate thou not the bread of him that hath an euil eye, neither desire his deintie meates.
Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, And long not for his dainties;
7 For as though he thought it in his heart, so will hee say vnto thee, Eate and drinke: 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 Thou shalt vomit thy morsels that thou hast eaten, and thou shalt lose thy sweete wordes.
The morsel, which thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit up; And thou wilt have thrown away thy sweet words.
9 Speake not in the eares of a foole: for hee will despise the wisdome of thy wordes.
Speak not in the ears of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Remooue not the ancient boundes, and enter not into the fieldes of the fatherlesse.
Remove not the ancient landmark, And enter not into the fields of the fatherless!
11 For he that redeemeth them, is mightie: he will defend their cause against thee.
For their avenger is mighty; He will maintain their cause against thee.
12 Apply thine heart to instruction, and thine eares to the wordes of knowledge.
Apply thy heart to instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the childe: if thou smite him with the rodde, he shall 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 sonne, if thine heart be wise, mine heart shall reioyce, and I also.
My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart shall rejoice, even mine;
16 And my reynes shall reioyce, when thy lips speake righteous things.
Yea, my reins shall exult, When thy lips speak right things.
17 Let not thine heart bee enuious against sinners: but let it bee in the feare of the Lord continually.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, But continue thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long;
18 For surely there is an ende, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
For surely there shall be a reward, And thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 O thou my sonne, heare, and bee wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise; And let thy heart go forward in the way!
20 Keepe not company with drunkards, nor with gluttons.
Be not thou among winebibbers, And riotous eaters of flesh;
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall bee poore, and the sleeper shalbe clothed with ragges.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
22 Obey thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother when she is olde.
Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Bye the trueth, but sell it not: likewise wisdome, and instruction, and vnderstanding.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; Buy wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly reioyce, and hee that begetteth a wise childe, shall haue ioy of him.
The father of a righteous man shall greatly rejoice; Yea, he who begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall reioyce.
Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, let her that bore thee rejoice!
26 My sonne, giue mee thine heart, and let thine eyes delite in my wayes.
My son, give me thy heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways!
27 For a whore is as a deepe ditche, and a strange woman is as a narrowe pitte.
For a harlot is a deep ditch; Yea, a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Also she lyeth in wait as for a praye, and she increaseth the transgressers among men.
Like a robber she lieth in wait, And increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 To whome is woe? to whome is sorowe? to whom is strife? to whom is murmuring? to whom are woundes without cause? and to whome is the rednesse of the eyes?
Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who anxiety? Who wounds without cause? Who dimness of eyes?
30 Euen to them that tarie long at the wine, to them that goe, and seeke mixt wine.
They that tarry long at the wine; They that go in to seek mixed wine.
31 Looke not thou vpon the wine, when it is red, and when it sheweth his colour in the cup, or goeth downe pleasantly.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly.
32 In the ende thereof it will bite like a serpent, and hurt like a cockatrise.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall looke vpon strange women, and thine heart shall speake lewde things.
Thine eyes will look upon strange women, And thy heart will utter perverse things.
34 And thou shalt bee as one that sleepeth in the middes of the sea, and as hee that sleepeth in the toppe of the maste.
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 haue stricken mee, shalt thou say, but I was not sicke: they haue beaten mee, but I knew not, when I awoke: therefore will I seeke it yet still.
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.
