Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what [is] before thee:
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well him that is before thee;
2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou [be] a man given to appetite.
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they [are] deceitful meat.
Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful food.
4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone; for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
6 Eat thou not the bread of [him that hath] an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties;
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart [is] not with thee.
For as one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: 'Eat and drink', saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 The morsel [which] thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy 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 thee.
For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause with thee.
12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine 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.
Withhold not correction from the child; for though thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou beatest him with the rod, and wilt deliver his soul from the nether-world. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;
16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
Yea, my reins will rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but [be thou] in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the LORD all the day;
18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
For surely there is a future; and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous 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 shall clothe a man with rags.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Hearken unto thy father that begot 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; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise [child] shall have joy of him.
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine 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; and an alien woman is a narrow pit.
28 She also lieth in wait as [for] a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the faithless among men.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? who hath contentions? who hath raving? 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 long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it glideth down smoothly;
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a basilisk.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter confused things.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 They have stricken me, [shalt thou 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 struck me, and I felt it not, they have beaten me, and I knew it not; when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.'
