Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what [is] before thee:
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider well what is before thee;
2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou [art] a man given to appetite.
For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man given to appetite!
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they [are] deceitful food.
Long not for his dainties. For they are deceitful meat.
4 Labor not to be rich: cease from thy own wisdom.
Toil not to become rich; Cease from this, thy wisdom.
5 Wilt thou set thy eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make to themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle towards heaven.
Wilt thou let thine eyes fly toward them? They are gone! For riches truly make to themselves wings; They fly away like the eagle toward heaven.
6 Eat thou not the bread of [him that hath] an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties:
Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, And long not for his dainties;
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart [is] not with thee.
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.
8 The morsel [which] thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
The morsel, which thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit up; And thou wilt have thrown away thy sweet words.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Speak not in the ears of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
Remove not the ancient landmark, And enter not into the fields of the fatherless!
11 For their redeemer [is] mighty; he will plead their cause with thee.
For their avenger is mighty; He will maintain their cause against thee.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, and thy ears to the words of knowledge.
Apply thy heart to instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the child: for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Withhold not correction from a child; If thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Beat him thyself with the rod, And thou shalt rescue him from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart shall rejoice, even mine;
16 Yes, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
Yea, my reins shall exult, When thy lips speak right things.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners: but [be thou] in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, But continue thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long;
18 For surely there is an end; and thy expectation shall not be cut off.
For surely there shall be a reward, And thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise; And let thy heart go forward in the way!
20 Be not among wine-bibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Be not thou among winebibbers, And riotous eaters of flesh;
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe [a man] with rags.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
22 Hearken to thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and sell [it] not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; Buy wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise [child] shall have joy of him.
The father of a righteous man shall greatly rejoice; Yea, he who begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice.
Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, let her that bore thee rejoice!
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thy eyes observe my ways.
My son, give me thy heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways!
27 For a lewd woman [is] a deep ditch; and a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.
For a harlot is a deep ditch; Yea, a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 She also lieth in wait as [for] a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
Like a robber she lieth in wait, And increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who anxiety? Who wounds without cause? Who dimness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
They that tarry long at the wine; They that go in to seek mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
33 Thy eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
Thine eyes will look upon strange women, And thy heart will utter perverse things.
34 And thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
Yea, thou shalt be as one that lieth down in the midst of the sea, And as one that lieth down upon the top of a mast.
35 They have stricken me, [wilt thou say], [and] I was not sick; they have beaten me, [and] I felt [it] not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
They have stricken me [[shalt thou say]], —I suffered no pain! They have beaten me, —I felt it not! When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
