Proverbs 23

On Life and Conduct

1When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully 1what is before you,2And put a knife to your throat If you are a 2man of great appetite.3Do not 3desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food.

44Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, 5Cease from your 6consideration of it.57When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For 8wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.

69Do not eat the bread of 10a 11selfish man, Or desire his delicacies;7For as he 12thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But 13his heart is not with you.8You will 14vomit up 15the morsel you have eaten, And waste your 16compliments.

917Do not speak in the 18hearing of a fool, For he will 19despise the wisdom of your words.

10Do not move the ancient boundary Or 20go into the fields of the fatherless,11For their 21Redeemer is strong; 22He will plead their case against you.12Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.

1323Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you 24strike him with the rod, he will not die.14You shall 25strike him with the rod And 26rescue his soul from Sheol.

15My son, if your heart is 27wise, My own heart also will be glad;16And my 28inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak 29what is right.

1730Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the 3132fear of the Lord 33always.18Surely there is a 3435future, And your 36hope will not be cut off.19Listen, my son, and 37be wise, And 38direct your heart in the way.20Do not be with 39heavy drinkers of wine, Or with 40gluttonous eaters of meat;21For the 41heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And 42drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

2243Listen to your father who begot you, And 44do not despise your mother when she is old.2345Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And 46he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.25Let your 47father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

2648Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes 4950delight in my ways.27For a harlot is a 51deep pit And an 5253adulterous woman is a narrow well.28Surely she 54lurks as a robber, And increases the 55faithless among men.

29Who has 56woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?30Those who 57linger long over wine, Those who go to 58taste 59mixed wine.31Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it 60sparkles in the cup, When it 61goes down smoothly;32At the last it 62bites like a serpent And stings like a 63viper.33Your eyes will see strange things And your 64mind will 65utter perverse things.34And you will be like one who lies down in the 66middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a 67mast.35“They 68struck me, but I did not become 69ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will 70seek 71another drink.”