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 well what is before thee;
2 And put a knife to your throat, if you be a man given to appetite.
For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man given to appetite!
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful food.
Long not for his dainties. For they are deceitful meat.
4 Labour not to be rich: cease from your own wisdom.
Toil not to become rich; Cease from this, thy wisdom.
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.
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 Eat you not the bread of him that has an evil eye, neither desire you his dainty meats:
Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, And long not for his dainties;
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 he thinketh in his heart, so is he. “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.
The morsel, which thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit up; And thou wilt have thrown away thy sweet words.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Speak not in the ears of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Remove not the old 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 shall plead their cause with you.
For their avenger is mighty; He will maintain their cause against thee.
12 Apply your heart unto instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
Apply thy heart to instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if you beat him with the rod, 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 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.
Yea, my reins shall exult, When thy lips speak right things.
17 Let not your heart envy sinners: but be you in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
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 end; and your expectation shall not be cut off.
For surely there shall be a reward, And thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Hear you, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the way.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise; And let thy heart go forward in the way!
20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Be not thou among winebibbers, And riotous eaters of 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 shall come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
22 Hearken unto your father that brings forth you, and despise not your mother when she is old.
Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; Buy 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 a righteous man shall greatly rejoice; Yea, he who begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.
25 Your father and your mother shall be glad, and she that bare you shall rejoice.
Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, let her that bore thee rejoice!
26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
My son, give me thy heart, And let thine eyes observe 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; Yea, a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 She also lies in wait as for a prey, and increases the transgressors among men.
Like a robber she lieth in wait, And 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 contentions? Who anxiety? Who wounds without cause? Who dimness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
They that tarry long at the wine; They that go in to seek mixed wine.
31 Look not you upon the wine when it is red, when it gives his colour in the cup, when it moves itself aright.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly.
32 At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
33 your eyes shall behold strange women, and your heart shall utter perverse things.
Thine eyes will look upon strange women, And thy heart will utter 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.
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 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 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.
