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 put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou [be] a man given to appetite.
3 Do not be desirous of his dainties, seeing they are deceitful food.
Be not desirous of his dainties: for they [are] deceitful meat.
4 Do not weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
6 Do not eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and do not crave his delicacies:
Eat thou not the bread of [him that hath] an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
7 for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. "Eat and drink." he says 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 you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.
The morsel [which] thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 Do not speak 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 Do not move the ancient boundary stone. Do not encroach on the fields of the fatherless:
Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11 for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
For their redeemer [is] mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
12 Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Withhold not correction from the child: for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine:
My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 yes, my heart will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right.
Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear the LORD all the day long.
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but [be thou] in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
18 For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
20 Do not be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat:
Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
21 for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe [a man] with rags.
22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
Buy the truth, and sell [it] not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise [child] shall have joy of him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad. Let her who bore you rejoice.
Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
26 My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
For a whore [is] a deep ditch; and a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.
28 Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.
She also lieth in wait as [for] a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31 Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.
32 In the end, it bites like a serpent, and poisons like a viper.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
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 hit me, and I was not hurt. They beat me, and I do not feel it. When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another."
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.
