Proverbs 23
1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2 put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.
For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
3 Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
4 Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
5 Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
When thou lettest merely thy eyes fly over it, it is no more: for it will ever make itself wings: like an eagle will it fly toward heaven.
6 Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies,
Eat not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory meats;
7 for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
For as though there were a division in his soul, so doth he act: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 You will vomit up the morsel which you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
9 Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence of thy words.
10 Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
Remove not the ancient landmark, and into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
11 for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
For their redeemer is strong; he will indeed plead their cause with thee.
12 Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
13 Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Withhold not from a lad correction; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou wilt indeed beat him with the rod; but thou wilt deliver his soul from perdition. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine.
My son, If thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 Yes, my heart will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
17 Don’t let your heart envy sinners, but rather fear the LORD all day long.
Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
18 Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.
For surely there is a future, and thy hope will not be cut off.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!
Hear thou, my son, and become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
20 Don’t be amongst ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat;
Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating flesh:
21 for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in rags.
22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
Hearken unto thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be old.
23 Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
Buy the truth and sell it not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
The father of the righteous will be greatly glad, and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy through him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!
Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
26 My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow well.
28 Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful amongst men.
She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath quarrels? who hath complaints? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
They that tarry late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
31 Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
Do not look on the wine when it looketh red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it glideth down so readily.
32 In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
34 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:
And thou wilt be like one that lieth down in the heart of the sea, or as he that lieth on the top of a mast.
35 “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.”
“They smote me, [but] I suffered no pain; they struck me hard, [but] I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will continue to seek it again.”
