Proverbs 23
1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you,
quando sederis ut comedas cum principe diligenter adtende quae posita sunt ante faciem tuam
2 and put a knife to your throat if you are a person who likes to eat a lot of food.
et statue cultrum in gutture tuo si tamen habes in potestate animam tuam
3 Do not crave his delicacies, for it is the food of lies.
ne desideres de cibis eius in quo est panis mendacii
4 Do not work too hard to gain wealth; be wise enough to know when to stop.
noli laborare ut diteris sed prudentiae tuae pone modum
5 Will you let your eyes light upon it? It will be gone, for it will surely take up wings like an eagle and fly off to the sky.
ne erigas oculos tuos ad opes quas habere non potes quia facient sibi pinnas quasi aquilae et avolabunt in caelum
6 Do not eat the food of one with an evil eye— and do not crave his delicacies,
ne comedas cum homine invido et ne desideres cibos eius
7 for he is the kind of man who counts the price of the food. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
quoniam in similitudinem arioli et coniectoris aestimat quod ignorat comede et bibe dicet tibi et mens eius non est tecum
8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten and you will have wasted your compliments.
cibos quos comederas evomes et perdes pulchros sermones tuos
9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
in auribus insipientium ne loquaris quia despicient doctrinam eloquii tui
10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of orphans,
ne adtingas terminos parvulorum et agrum pupillorum ne introeas
11 for their Redeemer is strong and he will plead their case against you.
propinquus enim eorum Fortis est et ipse iudicabit contra te causam illorum
12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
ingrediatur ad doctrinam cor tuum et aures tuae ad verba scientiae
13 Do not withhold instruction from a child, for if you discipline him, he will not die.
noli subtrahere a puero disciplinam si enim percusseris eum virga non morietur
tu virga percuties eum et animam eius de inferno liberabis (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart also will be glad;
fili mi si sapiens fuerit animus tuus gaudebit tecum cor meum
16 my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
et exultabunt renes mei cum locuta fuerint rectum labia tua
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of Yahweh all the day.
non aemuletur cor tuum peccatores sed in timore Domini esto tota die
18 Surely there is a future and your hope will not be cut off.
quia habebis spem in novissimo et praestolatio tua non auferetur
19 Hear—you!—my son, and be wise and direct your heart in the way.
audi fili mi et esto sapiens et dirige in via animum tuum
20 Do not associate with drunkards, or with gluttonous eaters of meat,
noli esse in conviviis potatorum nec in comesationibus eorum qui carnes ad vescendum conferunt
21 for the drunkard and the glutton become poor and slumber will clothe them with rags.
quia vacantes potibus et dantes symbola consumentur et vestietur pannis dormitatio
22 Listen to your father who begot you and do not despise your mother when she is old.
audi patrem tuum qui genuit te et ne contemnas cum senuerit mater tua
23 Buy the truth, but do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
veritatem eme et noli vendere sapientiam et doctrinam et intellegentiam
24 The father of the righteous person will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will be glad in him.
exultat gaudio pater iusti qui sapientem genuit laetabitur in eo
25 Let your father and your mother be glad and let her who bore you rejoice.
gaudeat pater tuus et mater tua et exultet quae genuit te
26 My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways.
praebe fili mi cor tuum mihi et oculi tui vias meas custodiant
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an immoral woman is a narrow well.
fovea enim profunda est meretrix et puteus angustus aliena
28 She lies in wait like a robber and she increases the number of the treacherous among humanity.
insidiatur in via quasi latro et quos incautos viderit interficit
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has fights? Who has complaining? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?
cui vae cuius patri vae cui rixae cui foveae cui sine causa vulnera cui suffusio oculorum
30 Those who linger over wine, those who try the mixed wine.
nonne his qui morantur in vino et student calicibus epotandis
31 Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
ne intuearis vinum quando flavescit cum splenduerit in vitro color eius ingreditur blande
32 In the last it bites like a serpent and it stings like an adder.
sed in novissimo mordebit ut coluber et sicut regulus venena diffundet
33 Your eyes will see strange things and your heart will utter perverse things.
oculi tui videbunt extraneas et cor tuum loquetur perversa
34 You will be as one who sleeps on the high seas or lies on the top of a mast.
et eris sicut dormiens in medio mari et quasi sopitus gubernator amisso clavo
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt. They beat me, but I did not feel it. When will I wake up? I will seek another drink.”
et dices verberaverunt me sed non dolui traxerunt me et ego non sensi quando evigilabo et rursum vina repperiam
