Proverbs 23
1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you:
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2 And put a knife to your throat, if you be a man given to appetite.
For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful food.
Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
4 Labour not to be rich: cease from your own wisdom.
Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
5 Will you set your eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
When thou lettest merely thy eyes fly over it, it is no more: for it will ever make itself wings: like an eagle will it fly toward heaven.
6 Eat you not the bread of him that has an evil eye, neither desire you his dainty meats:
Eat not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory meats;
7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, says he to you; but his heart is not with you.
For as though there were a division in his soul, so doth he act: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 The morsel which you have eaten shall you vomit up, and lose your sweet words.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence of thy words.
10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
Remove not the ancient landmark, and into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with you.
For their redeemer is strong; he will indeed plead their cause with thee.
12 Apply your heart unto instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if you beat him with the rod, he shall not die.
Withhold not from a lad correction; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou wilt indeed beat him with the rod; but thou wilt deliver his soul from perdition. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if your heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
My son, If thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when your lips speak right things.
And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
17 Let not your heart envy sinners: but be you in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
18 For surely there is an end; and your expectation shall not be cut off.
For surely there is a future, and thy hope will not be cut off.
19 Hear you, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the way.
Hear thou, my son, and become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating flesh:
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in rags.
22 Hearken unto your father that brings forth you, and despise not your mother when she is old.
Hearken unto thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be old.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Buy the truth and sell it not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that bring forths a wise child shall have joy of him.
The father of the righteous will be greatly glad, and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy through him.
25 Your father and your mother shall be glad, and she that bare you shall rejoice.
Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch my ways.
27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow well.
28 She also lies in wait as for a prey, and increases the transgressors among men.
She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Who has woe? who has sorrow? who has contentions? who has babbling? who has wounds without cause? who has redness of eyes?
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath quarrels? who hath complaints? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
They that tarry late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
31 Look not you upon the wine when it is red, when it gives his colour in the cup, when it moves itself aright.
Do not look on the wine when it looketh red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it glideth down so readily.
32 At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
33 your eyes shall behold strange women, and your heart shall utter perverse things.
Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
34 Yea, you shall be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lies upon the top of a mast.
And thou wilt be like one that lieth down in the heart of the sea, or as he that lieth on the top of a mast.
35 They have stricken me, shall you say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
“They smote me, [but] I suffered no pain; they struck me hard, [but] I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will continue to seek it again.”
