Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
When you sit to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you,
2 For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
and put a knife to your throat if you are a person who likes to eat a lot of food.
3 Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
Do not crave his delicacies, for it is the food of lies.
4 Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
Do not work too hard to gain wealth; be wise enough to know when to stop.
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 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 Eat not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory meats;
Do not eat the food of one with an evil eye— and do not crave his delicacies,
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 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 Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten and you will have wasted your compliments.
9 Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence of thy words.
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark, and into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of orphans,
11 For their redeemer is strong; he will indeed plead their cause with thee.
for their Redeemer is strong and he will plead their case against you.
12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not from a lad correction; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Do not withhold instruction from a child, for if you discipline him, he will not die.
14 Thou wilt indeed beat him with the rod; but thou wilt deliver his soul from perdition. (Sheol h7585)
It is you who must beat him with the rod and save his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, If thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart also will be glad;
16 And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
17 Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of Yahweh all the day.
18 For surely there is a future, and thy hope will not be cut off.
Surely there is a future and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
Hear—you!—my son, and be wise and direct your heart in the way.
20 Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating flesh:
Do not associate with drunkards, or with gluttonous eaters of meat,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in rags.
for the drunkard and the glutton become poor and slumber will clothe them with rags.
22 Hearken unto thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be old.
Listen to your father who begot you and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth and sell it not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Buy the truth, but do not sell it; buy wisdom, 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 the righteous person will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will be glad in him.
25 Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
Let your father and your mother be glad and let her who bore you rejoice.
26 Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch my ways.
My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow well.
For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an immoral woman is a narrow well.
28 She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous among men.
She lies in wait like a robber and she increases the number of the treacherous among humanity.
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 fights? Who has complaining? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 They that tarry late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
Those who linger over wine, those who try the 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.
Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
32 At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
In the last it bites like a serpent and it stings like an adder.
33 Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
Your eyes will see strange things and your heart will 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.
You will be as one who sleeps on the high seas or lies on 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 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.”
