Proverbs 23

English Standard Version

from Crossway
1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what[1] is before you,2 and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.3 Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. (Pr 23:6)4 Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. (Pr 3:5; Pr 3:7; Pr 15:27; Pr 26:12; Pr 28:20; Isa 5:21; Mt 6:19; Ro 12:16; 1Ti 6:9; Heb 13:5)5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. (Pr 27:24)6 Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy;[2] do not desire his delicacies, (De 15:9; Ps 141:4; Pr 23:3; Pr 28:22)7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.[3] “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. (Ps 12:2)8 You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words.9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words.10 Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, (Pr 22:28)11 for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you. (Ex 6:6; Job 19:25; Pr 22:23)12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. (Pr 13:24; Pr 19:18)14 If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. (1Co 5:5)15 My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. (Pr 23:24; Pr 29:3)16 My inmost being[4] will exult when your lips speak what is right. (Ps 7:9; Ps 73:21; Pr 8:6)17 Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day. (Ps 37:1; Pr 28:14)18 Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. (Ps 9:18; Pr 24:14; Pr 24:20)19 Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. (Pr 6:6; Pr 9:6)20 Be not among drunkards[5] or among gluttonous eaters of meat, (Pr 23:29; Pr 28:7; Isa 5:11; Isa 5:22; Mt 24:49; Lu 21:34; Ro 13:13; Eph 5:18)21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. (Pr 6:10)22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. (Pr 1:8; Pr 30:17)23 Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. (Pr 4:5; Pr 4:7; Pr 18:15; Mt 13:44)24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. (Pr 23:15; Pr 29:3)25 Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice. (Pr 17:25; Pr 23:24)26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe[6] my ways.27 For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress[7] is a narrow well. (Ps 55:23; Pr 2:16; Pr 22:14)28 She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind. (Pr 7:12; Ec 7:26)29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? (Ge 49:12; Pr 23:20; Pr 23:35)30 Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. (Ps 75:8; Pr 9:2; Pr 9:5; Isa 5:11; Isa 5:22; Isa 65:11)31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. (Job 20:16)33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. (Pr 2:12)34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.[8]35 “They struck me,” you will say,[9] “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.” (Pr 23:29; Isa 56:12; Jer 5:3)

Proverbs 23

New International Version

from Biblica
1 When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what[1] is before you,2 and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.3 Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.6 Do not eat the food of a stingy host, do not crave his delicacies;7 for he is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost.[2] ‘Eat and drink,’ he says to you, but his heart is not with you.8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments.9 Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words.10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,11 for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you.12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.14 Punish them with the rod and save them from death.15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed;16 my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.18 There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path:20 do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat,21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.22 Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.23 Buy the truth and do not sell it – wisdom, instruction and insight as well.24 The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.25 May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful!26 My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways,27 for an adulterous woman is a deep pit, and a wayward wife is a narrow well.28 Like a bandit she lies in wait and multiplies the unfaithful among men.29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?30 Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!32 In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.33 Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things.34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.35 ‘They hit me,’ you will say, ‘but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?’

Proverbs 23

King James Version

1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: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.8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.9 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:11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.12 Apply thine heart unto 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.14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.22 Hearken unto thy father that 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.24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors 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?30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.34 Yea, 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.35 They have stricken me, shalt 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.

Proverbs 23

New International Reader’s Version

from Biblica
1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, look carefully at what’s in front of you.2 Put a knife to your throat if you like to eat too much.3 Don’t long for his fancy food. It can fool you.4 Don’t wear yourself out to get rich. Don’t trust how wise you think you are.5 When you take even a quick look at riches, they are gone. They grow wings and fly away into the sky like an eagle.6 Don’t eat the food of anyone who doesn’t want to share it. Don’t long for his fancy food.7 He is the kind of person who is always thinking about how much it costs. ‘Eat and drink,’ he says to you. But he doesn’t mean it.8 You will throw up what little you have eaten. You will have wasted your words of praise.9 Don’t speak to foolish people. They will laugh at your wise words.10 Don’t move old boundary stones. Don’t try to take over the fields of children whose fathers have died.11 That’s because the God who guards them is strong. He will stand up for them in court against you.12 Apply your heart to what you are taught. Listen carefully to words of knowledge.13 Don’t hold back correction from a child. If you correct them, they won’t die.14 So correct them. Then you will save them from death.15 My son, if your heart is wise, my heart will be very glad.16 Deep down inside, I will be happy when you say what is right.17 Do not long for what sinners have. But always show great respect for the LORD.18 There really is hope for you in days to come. So your hope will not be cut off.19 My son, listen and be wise. Set your heart on the right path.20 Don’t join those who drink too much wine. Don’t join those who stuff themselves with meat.21 Those who drink or eat too much will become poor. If they sleep too much, they’ll have to wear rags.22 Listen to your father, who gave you life. Don’t hate your mother when she is old.23 Buy the truth and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, instruction and understanding as well.24 The father of a godly child is very happy. A man who has a wise son is glad.25 May your father and mother be glad. May the woman who gave birth to you be joyful.26 My son, give me your heart. May you be happy living the way you see me live.27 An unfaithful wife is like a deep pit. A wife who commits adultery is like a narrow well.28 She hides and waits like a thief. She causes many men to sin.29 Who has trouble? Who has sorrow? Who argues? Who has problems? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has red eyes?30 Those who spend too much time with wine. Or those who like to taste wine mixed with spices.31 Don’t look at wine when it is red. Don’t look at it when it bubbles in the cup. And don’t look at it when it goes down smoothly.32 In the end it bites like a snake. It bites like a poisonous snake.33 Your eyes will see strange sights. Your mind will imagine weird things.34 You will feel like someone sleeping on the ocean. You will think you are lying among the ropes in a boat.35 ‘They hit me,’ you will say. ‘But I’m not hurt! They beat me. But I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?’