Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which [is] before thee,
When you sit down for a meal with a ruler, look carefully at what is placed before you,
2 And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.
and cut down if you have a big appetite.
3 Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it [is] lying food.
Don't be greedy for his fancy food, for it's offered with deceptive motives.
4 Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.
Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich—be wise enough not to bother!
5 For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
It disappears in the blink of an eye, suddenly growing wings and flying off into the sky like an eagle.
6 Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,
Don't accept meal invitations from miserly people; don't be greedy for their fancy food,
7 For as he hath thought in his soul, so [is] he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart [is] not with thee.
for what they're thinking inside is what they really are. They say, “Come on, eat and drink!”—but in their minds they don't really care about you.
8 Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that [are] sweet.
You'll vomit up the little pieces you've eaten, and your kind words of appreciation will be wasted.
9 In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.
Don't talk to stupid people because they'll ridicule your wise words.
10 Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,
Don't move ancient boundary markers, and don't encroach on fields belonging to orphans,
11 For their Redeemer [is] strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.
for their Protector is powerful and he will plead their case against you.
12 Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.
Focus your mind on instruction; listen intently to words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.
Don't keep from disciplining your children—a beating won't kill them.
If you use physical correction you can save them from death. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,
My son, if you think wisely then I'll be happy;
16 And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.
I'll be delighted when you say what's right.
17 Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.
Don't think enviously of sinners, but always remember to honor the Lord,
18 For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.
for there's definitely a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,
Pay attention, my son, and be wise; make sure your mind concentrates on following the right way.
20 Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
Don't join in with people who drink too much wine or who stuff themselves with meat.
21 For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.
For people who get drunk and overeat lose all they've got, and they spend so much time dozing that all they have left to wear is rags.
22 Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.
Pay attention to your father, and don't disregard your mother when she's old.
23 Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
Invest in truth—and don't sell it! Invest in wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.
Children who do right make their fathers very happy; a wise son brings joy to his father.
25 Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.
Make your father and mother happy; bring joy to her who gave birth to you.
26 Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways.
My son, give me your undivided attention, and cheerfully follow my example.
27 For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a strait pit.
A prostitute is like being trapped in a pit; an immoral woman is like getting stuck a narrow well,
28 She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.
Like a robber, she lies in wait ready to ambush men and make more of them unfaithful to their wives.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?
Who's in trouble? Who's in pain? Who's arguing? Who's complaining? Who's injured for no reason? Who's got bloodshot eyes?
30 Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
—those who spend a long time drinking wine, those who are always trying some new cocktail.
31 See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.
Don't let the look of wine tempt you—how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smooth it feels as it goes down.
32 Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.
In the end it bites like a serpent, it stings like a snake.
33 Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.
You'll hallucinate, seeing strange things, and your confused mind will make you say all kinds of craziness.
34 And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
You'll stumble around like you're on the rolling ocean, you'll be tossed about like someone lying down at the top of a ship's mast, saying,
35 'They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake — I seek it yet again!'
“People punched me, but it didn't hurt me; they beat me, but I didn't feel a thing. I've got to get up because I need another drink.”
