1When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:2And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.3Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.4Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.6Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:7For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.8The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.9Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.10Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:11For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.12Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.13Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.14Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.15My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.16Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.17Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.18For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.19Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.20Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:21For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.22Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.23Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.24The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.25Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.26My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.27For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.28She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.29Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?30They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.31Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.32At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.33Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.34Yea, 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.35They 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
English Standard Version
1When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what[1] is before you,2and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.3Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. (Pr 23:6)4Do 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)5When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. (Pr 27:24)6Do 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)7for 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)8You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words.9Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words.10Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, (Pr 22:28)11for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you. (Ex 6:6; Job 19:25; Pr 22:23)12Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.13Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. (Pr 13:24; Pr 19:18)14If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. (1Co 5:5)15My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. (Pr 23:24; Pr 29:3)16My inmost being[4] will exult when your lips speak what is right. (Ps 7:9; Ps 73:21; Pr 8:6)17Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day. (Ps 37:1; Pr 28:14)18Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. (Ps 9:18; Pr 24:14; Pr 24:20)19Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. (Pr 6:6; Pr 9:6)20Be 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)21for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. (Pr 6:10)22Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. (Pr 1:8; Pr 30:17)23Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. (Pr 4:5; Pr 4:7; Pr 18:15; Mt 13:44)24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. (Pr 23:15; Pr 29:3)25Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice. (Pr 17:25; Pr 23:24)26My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe[6] my ways.27For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress[7] is a narrow well. (Ps 55:23; Pr 2:16; Pr 22:14)28She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind. (Pr 7:12; Ec 7:26)29Who 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)30Those 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)31Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.32In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. (Job 20:16)33Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. (Pr 2:12)34You 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)