Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, thou shalt consider well, what is before thee;
When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;
2 And shalt put a knife to thy throat, if, of great appetite, thou art:
put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.
3 Do not crave his dainties, for, the same, are deceitful food.
Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
4 Do not toil to get wealth, of thine own understanding, forbear:
Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
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.
Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
6 Do not eat the food of him that hath a begrudging eye, neither crave thou his dainties;
Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t 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 as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “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 the morsel which 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.
Don’t speak in the ears of 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;
Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 For, their near of kin, is strong, he, will plead their cause with thee.
for their Defender is strong. He will plead 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 the words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold, from a child, correction, When thou smitest him with the rod, he shall not die:
Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Punish 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 will be glad, even mine.
16 So shall my reins exult, when thy lips speak the things that are right.
Yes, my heart 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;
Don’t let your heart envy sinners, but rather fear the LORD all day long.
18 For surely there is a future, and, thine expectation, shall not be cut off.
Indeed surely there is a future hope, 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 keep your heart on the right path!
20 Do not be among them who tipple with wine, —among them who are gluttons;
Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who 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 shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes 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 don’t despise your mother when she is old.
23 Truth, buy thou, but do not sell, wisdom, and correction, and understanding.
Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, 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 the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
25 Rejoice shall thy father and thy mother, yea she, shall exult, who bare thee.
Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you 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 keep 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 a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Yea, she, as for prey, lieth in wait, and, the treacherous among mankind, she causeth to abound.
Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful 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 strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 They who tarry over wine, they who go in to search for mixed wine.
Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Do not look on wine when it becometh red, when it giveth in the cup its sparkle, glideth down smoothly.
Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it 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 poisons 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 imagine confusing things.
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:
Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
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 hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I don’t feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I will look for more.”
