< Proverbs 23 >

1 When you sit down to eat a meal with a (government official/king), think carefully about what (OR, who) is in front of you.
When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is set before you,
2 [Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.
and put a knife to your throat if you possess a great appetite.
3 Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.
Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.
4 Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.
5 because as soon as you look [MTY] at [all the money that you have acquired], it will be gone; it will [disappear as if it] suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.
When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.
6 [If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,
Do not eat the bread of a stingy man, and do not crave his delicacies;
7 because he will be thinking about how much [the food cost that you are eating]. He [will] say to you, “Eat and drink all that you want!”, but that is not what he [will] really be thinking.
for he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
8 [When you realize what he is really thinking, it will cause you to want to] vomit what you have eaten; and your kind words [telling him that you are enjoying the meal] will be wasted.
You will vomit up what little you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.
9 (Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.
Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Do not [steal someone’s property by] removing a boundary marker that has been there for a long time, and do not take for yourself the land that belongs to orphans,
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 because Yahweh is strong, and he is [like] a relative that has the responsibility to defend them, he will [stand up in court and] argue for them and against you.
for their Redeemer is strong; He will take up their case against you.
12 Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Do not refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,
Do not withhold discipline from a child; although you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14 and it may save them from [going to] the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
Strike him with a rod, and you will deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.
My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice.
16 I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.
My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
17 Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD.
18 [If you do that], you will be happy in the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do.
For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).
Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right course.
20 Do not associate with those who drink a lot of (wine/strong drink) or with those who (are gluttons/eat more than they should),
Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat.
21 because drunkards and gluttons will become poor; and if all that you do is eat and sleep, you will [soon] (be wearing rags/not have any money to buy clothes).
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.
22 Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] your mother when she is old.
Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.
Invest in truth and never sell it— in wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24 Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.
The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.
25 [Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.
May your father and mother be glad, and may she who gave you birth rejoice!
26 My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.
27 Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].
For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well.
28 They wait [for you] like robbers [SIM], and they cause many men to (be unfaithful to/have sex with women who are not) their wives.
Like a robber she lies in wait and multiplies the faithless among men.
29 I will tell you [RHQ] what kind of people are always miserable and sad. I will tell you [RHQ] which people are always causing arguments/quarrels and who are always complaining. I will tell you [RHQ] who are injured in fights and whose eyes are always red/bloodshot.
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 [It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.
Those who linger over wine, who go to taste mixed drinks.
31 Do not look with pleasure at red wine that looks nice, and which sparkles when it is [poured out] into cups, and which tastes good as you drink it,
Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
32 because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].
In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper.
33 You [SYN] will [think that you are] seeing strange/weird things, and you [SYN] will not be able to think clearly or speak clearly.
Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will utter perversities.
34 You will think you are in a ship that is tossing on the sea; you be like [SIM] someone who is trying to sleep when the ship is rolling from one side to the other.
You will be like one sleeping on the high seas or lying on the top of a mast:
35 You will say, “[I think that] someone struck me, but he did not hurt me; he hit me, but I did not feel it. When will I (wake up/feel normal again) in order that I can drink some more wine?”
“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?”

< Proverbs 23 >