Proverbs 23

1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you;2 And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite.3 Do not desire his delicacies, For they are deceptive food.4 Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease!5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.6 Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies;7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Eat and drink! he says to you, But his heart is not with you.8 The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, And waste your pleasant words.9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words.10 Do not remove the ancient landmark, Nor enter the fields of the fatherless;11 For their Redeemer is mighty; He will plead their cause against you.12 Apply your heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge.13 Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.14 You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.15 My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoiceindeed, I myself;16 Yes, my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak right things.17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day;18 For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.19 Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way.20 Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.22 Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.25 Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice.26 My son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my ways.27 For a harlot is a deep pit, And a seductress is a narrow well.28 She also lies in wait as for a victim, And increases the unfaithful among men.29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?30 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine.31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly;32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper.33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things.34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: 35 They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?

PROVERBS 23

–6–

1 When you are invited
to eat with a king,
use your best manners.

2 Don't go and stuff yourself!
That would be just the same
as cutting your throat.

3 Don't be greedy for all
of that fancy food!
It may not be so tasty.

–7–

4 Give up trying so hard
to get rich.

5 Your money flies away
before you know it,
just like an eagle
suddenly taking off.

–8–

6 Don't accept an invitation
to eat a selfish person's food,
no matter how good it is.

7 People like that take note
of how much you eat.t
They say, “Take all you want!”
But they don't mean it.

8 Each bite will come back up,
and all your kind words
will be wasted.

–9–

9 Don't talk to fools—
they will make fun of you.

–10–

10 Don't move a boundary markert
or take the land
that belongs to orphans.

11 God All-Powerful is there
to defend them against you.

–11–

12 Listen to instruction
and do your best to learn.

–12–

13 Don't fail to correct
your children.
You won't kill them
by being firm,

14 and it may even
save their lives.

–13–

15 My children,
if you show good sense,
I will be happy,

16 and if you are truthful,
I will really be glad.

–14–

17 Don't be jealous of sinners,
but always honor the [Lord].

18 Then you will truly have hope
for the future.

–15–

19 Listen to me, my children!
Be wise and have enough sense
to follow the right path.

20 Don't be a heavy drinker
or stuff yourself with food.

21 It will make you feel drowsy,
and you will end up poor
with only rags to wear.

–16–

22 Pay attention to your father,
and don't neglect your mother
when she grows old.

23 Invest in truth and wisdom,
discipline and good sense,
and don't part with them.

24 Make your father truly happy
by living right and showing
sound judgment.

25 Make your parents proud,
especially your mother.

–17–

26 My son, pay close attention,
and gladly follow
my example.

27 Bad women and unfaithful wives
are like a deep pit—

28 they are waiting to attack you
like a gang of robbers
with victim after victim.

–18–

29 Who is always in trouble?
Who argues and fights?
Who has cuts and bruises?
Whose eyes are red?

30 Everyone who stays up late,
having just one more drink.

31 Don't even look
at that colorful stuff
bubbling up in the glass!
It goes down so easily,

32 but later it bites
like a poisonous snake.

33 You will see weird things,
and your mind
will play tricks on you.

34 You will feel tossed about
like someone trying to sleep
on a ship in a storm.

35 You will be bruised all over,
without even remembering
how it all happened.
And you will lie awake asking,
“When will morning come,
so I can drink some more?”