Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
When thou sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently him who is before thee,
2 For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
Be not desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
4 Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
Weary not thyself to be rich. Out of thine own wisdom, cease.
5 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.
Will thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For it certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward heaven.
6 Eat not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory meats;
Eat thou not the bread of an evil eye, nor desire thou his dainties.
7 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.
For as he thinks within himself, so is he. Eat and drink, he says to thee, but his heart is not with thee.
8 Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
The morsel which thou have eaten thou shall vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence of thy words.
Speak not in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark, and into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
Remove not the ancient landmark. And enter not into the fields of the fatherless,
11 For their redeemer is strong; he will indeed plead their cause with thee.
for their Redeemer is strong. He will plead their cause against thee.
12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
Apply thy heart to instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not from a lad correction; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
14 Thou wilt indeed beat him with the rod; but thou wilt deliver his soul from perdition. (Sheol h7585)
Thou shall beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, If thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine.
16 And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
Yea, my heart will rejoice when thy lips speak right things.
17 Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long.
18 For surely there is a future, and thy hope will not be cut off.
For surely there is a reward, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
20 Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating flesh:
Be not among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of flesh.
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in rags.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
22 Hearken unto thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be old.
Hearken to thy father who 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 do not sell it, yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous will be greatly glad, and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy through him.
The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise son will have joy of him.
25 Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her who bore thee rejoice.
26 Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch my ways.
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes delight in my ways.
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow well.
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and an interloping woman is a narrow pit.
28 She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous among men.
Yea, she lies in wait as a robber, and increases the treacherous among men.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath quarrels? who hath complaints? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 They that tarry late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
Those who tarry long at the wine. Those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it looketh red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it glideth down so readily.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
32 At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
At the end it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
33 Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
34 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.
Yea, thou shall be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies upon the top of a mast.
35 “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.”
They have stricken me, thou shall say, and I was not hurt. They have beaten me, and I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
