Proverbiorum 23
1 quando sederis ut comedas cum principe diligenter adtende quae posita sunt ante faciem tuam
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2 et statue cultrum in gutture tuo si tamen habes in potestate animam tuam
For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
3 ne desideres de cibis eius in quo est panis mendacii
Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
4 noli laborare ut diteris sed prudentiae tuae pone modum
Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
5 ne erigas oculos tuos ad opes quas habere non potes quia facient sibi pinnas quasi aquilae et avolabunt in caelum
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 ne comedas cum homine invido et ne desideres cibos eius
Eat not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory meats;
7 quoniam in similitudinem arioli et coniectoris aestimat quod ignorat comede et bibe dicet tibi et mens eius non est tecum
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 cibos quos comederas evomes et perdes pulchros sermones tuos
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
9 in auribus insipientium ne loquaris quia despicient doctrinam eloquii tui
Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence of thy words.
10 ne adtingas terminos parvulorum et agrum pupillorum ne introeas
Remove not the ancient landmark, and into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
11 propinquus enim eorum Fortis est et ipse iudicabit contra te causam illorum
For their redeemer is strong; he will indeed plead their cause with thee.
12 ingrediatur ad doctrinam cor tuum et aures tuae ad verba scientiae
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
13 noli subtrahere a puero disciplinam si enim percusseris eum virga non morietur
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 fili mi si sapiens fuerit animus tuus gaudebit tecum cor meum
My son, If thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 et exultabunt renes mei cum locuta fuerint rectum labia tua
And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
17 non aemuletur cor tuum peccatores sed in timore Domini esto tota die
Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
18 quia habebis spem in novissimo et praestolatio tua non auferetur
For surely there is a future, and thy hope will not be cut off.
19 audi fili mi et esto sapiens et dirige in via animum tuum
Hear thou, my son, and become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
20 noli esse in conviviis potatorum nec in comesationibus eorum qui carnes ad vescendum conferunt
Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating flesh:
21 quia vacantes potibus et dantes symbola consumentur et vestietur pannis dormitatio
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in rags.
22 audi patrem tuum qui genuit te et ne contemnas cum senuerit mater tua
Hearken unto thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be old.
23 veritatem eme et noli vendere sapientiam et doctrinam et intellegentiam
Buy the truth and sell it not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 exultat gaudio pater iusti qui sapientem genuit laetabitur in eo
The father of the righteous will be greatly glad, and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy through him.
25 gaudeat pater tuus et mater tua et exultet quae genuit te
Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
26 praebe fili mi cor tuum mihi et oculi tui vias meas custodiant
Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch my ways.
27 fovea enim profunda est meretrix et puteus angustus aliena
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow well.
28 insidiatur in via quasi latro et quos incautos viderit interficit
She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 cui vae cuius patri vae cui rixae cui foveae cui sine causa vulnera cui suffusio oculorum
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath quarrels? who hath complaints? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 nonne his qui morantur in vino et student calicibus epotandis
They that tarry late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
31 ne intuearis vinum quando flavescit cum splenduerit in vitro color eius ingreditur blande
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 sed in novissimo mordebit ut coluber et sicut regulus venena diffundet
At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
33 oculi tui videbunt extraneas et cor tuum loquetur perversa
Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
34 et eris sicut dormiens in medio mari et quasi sopitus gubernator amisso clavo
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 et dices verberaverunt me sed non dolui traxerunt me et ego non sensi quando evigilabo et rursum vina repperiam
“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.”
