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 thou sittest to eate with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee,
2 [Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.
And put the knife to thy throte, if thou be a man giuen to the appetite.
3 Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.
Be not desirous of his deintie meates: for it is a deceiuable meate.
4 Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,
Trauaile not too much to be rich: but cease from thy wisdome.
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.
Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon it, which is nothing? for riches taketh her to her wings, as an eagle, and flyeth into the heauen.
6 [If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,
Eate thou not the bread of him that hath an euil eye, neither desire his deintie meates.
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 as though he thought it in his heart, so will hee say vnto thee, Eate and drinke: but his heart is not with thee.
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.
Thou shalt vomit thy morsels that thou hast eaten, and thou shalt lose thy sweete wordes.
9 (Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.
Speake not in the eares of a foole: for hee will despise the wisdome of thy wordes.
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,
Remooue not the ancient boundes, and enter not into the fieldes of the fatherlesse.
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 he that redeemeth them, is mightie: he will defend their cause against thee.
12 Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.
Apply thine heart to instruction, and thine eares to the wordes of knowledge.
13 Do not refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,
Withhold not correction from the childe: if thou smite him with the rodde, he shall not die.
Thou shalt smite him with the rodde, and shalt deliuer his soule from hell. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.
My sonne, if thine heart be wise, mine heart shall reioyce, and I also.
16 I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.
And my reynes shall reioyce, when thy lips speake righteous things.
17 Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.
Let not thine heart bee enuious against sinners: but let it bee in the feare of the Lord continually.
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 an ende, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).
O thou my sonne, heare, and bee wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
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),
Keepe not company with drunkards, nor with gluttons.
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 shall bee poore, and the sleeper shalbe clothed with ragges.
22 Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] your mother when she is old.
Obey thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother when she is olde.
23 Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.
Bye the trueth, but sell it not: likewise wisdome, and instruction, and vnderstanding.
24 Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.
The father of the righteous shall greatly reioyce, and hee that begetteth a wise childe, shall haue ioy of him.
25 [Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.
Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall reioyce.
26 My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.
My sonne, giue mee thine heart, and let thine eyes delite in my wayes.
27 Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].
For a whore is as a deepe ditche, and a strange woman is as a narrowe pitte.
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.
Also she lyeth in wait as for a praye, and she increaseth the transgressers 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.
To whome is woe? to whome is sorowe? to whom is strife? to whom is murmuring? to whom are woundes without cause? and to whome is the rednesse of the eyes?
30 [It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.
Euen to them that tarie long at the wine, to them that goe, and seeke mixt wine.
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,
Looke not thou vpon the wine, when it is red, and when it sheweth his colour in the cup, or goeth downe pleasantly.
32 because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].
In the ende thereof it will bite like a serpent, and hurt like a cockatrise.
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.
Thine eyes shall looke vpon strange women, and thine heart shall speake lewde things.
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.
And thou shalt bee as one that sleepeth in the middes of the sea, and as hee that sleepeth in the toppe of the maste.
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 haue stricken mee, shalt thou say, but I was not sicke: they haue beaten mee, but I knew not, when I awoke: therefore will I seeke it yet still.
