Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eate with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee,
When you sit to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you,
2 And put the knife to thy throte, if thou be a man giuen to the appetite.
and put a knife to your throat if you are a person who likes to eat a lot of food.
3 Be not desirous of his deintie meates: for it is a deceiuable meate.
Do not crave his delicacies, for it is the food of lies.
4 Trauaile not too much to be rich: but cease from thy wisdome.
Do not work too hard to gain wealth; be wise enough to know when to stop.
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.
Will you let your eyes light upon it? It will be gone, for it will surely take up wings like an eagle and fly off to the sky.
6 Eate thou not the bread of him that hath an euil eye, neither desire his deintie meates.
Do not eat the food of one with an evil eye— and do not crave his delicacies,
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 he is the kind of man who counts the price of the food. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
8 Thou shalt vomit thy morsels that thou hast eaten, and thou shalt lose thy sweete wordes.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten and you will have wasted your compliments.
9 Speake not in the eares of a foole: for hee will despise the wisdome of thy wordes.
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Remooue not the ancient boundes, and enter not into the fieldes of the fatherlesse.
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of orphans,
11 For he that redeemeth them, is mightie: he will defend their cause against thee.
for their Redeemer is strong and he will plead their case against you.
12 Apply thine heart to instruction, and thine eares to the wordes of knowledge.
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the childe: if thou smite him with the rodde, he shall not die.
Do not withhold instruction from a child, for if you discipline him, he will not die.
It is you who must beat him with the rod and save his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 My sonne, if thine heart be wise, mine heart shall reioyce, and I also.
My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart also will be glad;
16 And my reynes shall reioyce, when thy lips speake righteous things.
my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
17 Let not thine heart bee enuious against sinners: but let it bee in the feare of the Lord continually.
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of Yahweh all the day.
18 For surely there is an ende, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
Surely there is a future and your hope will not be cut off.
19 O thou my sonne, heare, and bee wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Hear—you!—my son, and be wise and direct your heart in the way.
20 Keepe not company with drunkards, nor with gluttons.
Do not associate with drunkards, or with gluttonous eaters of meat,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall bee poore, and the sleeper shalbe clothed with ragges.
for the drunkard and the glutton become poor and slumber will clothe them with rags.
22 Obey thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother when she is olde.
Listen to your father who begot you and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Bye the trueth, but sell it not: likewise wisdome, and instruction, and vnderstanding.
Buy the truth, but do not sell it; buy wisdom, 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 the righteous person will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will be glad in him.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall reioyce.
Let your father and your mother be glad and let her who bore you rejoice.
26 My sonne, giue mee thine heart, and let thine eyes delite in my wayes.
My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a whore is as a deepe ditche, and a strange woman is as a narrowe pitte.
For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an immoral woman is a narrow well.
28 Also she lyeth in wait as for a praye, and she increaseth the transgressers among men.
She lies in wait like a robber and she increases the number of the treacherous among humanity.
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 has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has fights? Who has complaining? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Euen to them that tarie long at the wine, to them that goe, and seeke mixt wine.
Those who linger over wine, those who try the 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.
Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
32 In the ende thereof it will bite like a serpent, and hurt like a cockatrise.
In the last it bites like a serpent and it stings like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall looke vpon strange women, and thine heart shall speake lewde things.
Your eyes will see strange things and your 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.
You will be as one who sleeps on the high seas or lies on 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 hit me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt. They beat me, but I did not feel it. When will I wake up? I will seek another drink.”
