Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, thou shalt consider well, what is before thee;
When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is set before you,
2 And shalt put a knife to thy throat, if, of great appetite, thou art:
and put a knife to your throat if you possess a great appetite.
3 Do not crave his dainties, for, the same, are deceitful food.
Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.
4 Do not toil to get wealth, of thine own understanding, forbear:
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.
5 Wilt thou let thine eye fly thereupon, when it is nothing? for it will, surely make, itself wings, Like an eagle, will it wing its way across the heavens.
When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.
6 Do not eat the food of him that hath a begrudging eye, neither crave thou his dainties;
Do not eat the bread of a stingy man, and do not crave his delicacies;
7 For, just as he hath thought in his own mind, so, he is: Eat and drink! he may say to thee, but, his heart, is not with thee.
for he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
8 As for thy morsel thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit it, so shalt thou waste thy things so sweet.
You will vomit up what little you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.
9 In the ears of a dullard, do not speak, for he will despise the good sense of thy words.
Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Do not move back the ancient boundary, and, into the fields of the fatherless, do not enter;
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 For, their near of kin, is strong, he, will plead their cause with thee.
for their Redeemer is strong; He will take up their case against you.
12 Bring, to correction, thy heart, and thine ears, to the sayings of knowledge.
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold, from a child, correction, When thou smitest him with the rod, he shall not die:
Do not withhold discipline from a child; although you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
Strike him with a rod, and you will deliver 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, my own heart will indeed rejoice.
16 So shall my reins exult, when thy lips speak the things that are right.
My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
17 Let not thy heart be envious of sinners, only of the reverence of Yahweh, all day long;
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD.
18 For surely there is a future, and, thine expectation, shall not be cut off.
For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Hear, thou, my son, and be wise, and lead forward, in duty, thy heart.
Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right course.
20 Do not be among them who tipple with wine, —among them who are gluttons;
Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat.
21 For, the tippler and the glutton, shall come to poverty, and, rags, shall Slumber put on!
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.
22 Hearken to thy father here, who begat thee, and despise not, when she is old, thy mother.
Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Truth, buy thou, but do not sell, wisdom, and correction, and understanding.
Invest in truth and never sell it— in wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24 Greatly shall exult, the father of a righteous man, and, he that begetteth a wise son, shall rejoice in him:
The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.
25 Rejoice shall thy father and thy mother, yea she, shall exult, who bare thee.
May your father and mother be glad, and may she who gave you birth rejoice!
26 Oh give, my son, thy mind unto me, and let, thine eyes, observe, my ways;
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.
27 For, a deep chasm, is the unchaste woman, and, a narrow pit, the female unknown;
For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well.
28 Yea, she, as for prey, lieth in wait, and, the treacherous among mankind, she causeth to abound.
Like a robber she lies in wait and multiplies the faithless among men.
29 Who hath woe? Who hath outcry of pain? Who hath contentions? Who hath complaining? Who hath needless wounds? Who hath dullness of eyes?
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 They who tarry over wine, they who go in to search for mixed wine.
Those who linger over wine, who go to taste mixed drinks.
31 Do not look on wine when it becometh red, when it giveth in the cup its sparkle, glideth down smoothly.
Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
32 Its after effect, is that, like a serpent, it biteth, and, like a viper, it doth sting.
In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper.
33 Thine eyes, will see strange women, and, thy heart, will speak perverse things:
Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will utter perversities.
34 So shalt thou become, as one lying down in the heart of the sea, —or as one lying down on the top of the mastgear:
You will be like one sleeping on the high seas or lying on the top of a mast:
35 They smote me—I felt no pain, They struck me down—I noticed it not, —When shall I wake up? I will go on, I will seek it, again!
“They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I did not know it! When can I wake up to search for another drink?”
