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 2person of great appetite.3Do not 3desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food.

44Do not weary yourself to gain wealth; 56Stop dwelling on 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 person; 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 18to be heard by 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 withhold discipline from a child; Though you strike him with the rod, he will not die.14You shall strike him with the rod And 24rescue his soul from Sheol.

15My son, if your heart is 25wise, My own heart also will be glad,16And my 26innermost being will rejoice When your lips speak 27what is right.

1728Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in 29the 30fear of the Lord 31always.18Certainly there is a 3233future, And your 34hope will not be cut off.19Listen, my son, and 35be wise, And 36direct your heart in the way.20Do not be with 37heavy drinkers of wine, Or with 38gluttonous eaters of meat;21For the 39heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And 40drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

2241Listen to your father, who fathered you, And 42do not despise your mother when she is old.2343Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And 44he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.25Let your 45father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

2646Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes 4748delight in my ways.27For a prostitute is a 49deep pit, And a 5051strange woman is a narrow well.28Certainly she 52lurks as a robber, And increases the treacherous among mankind.

29Who has 53woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has red eyes?30Those who 54linger long over wine, Those who go to 55taste 56mixed wine.31Do not look at wine when it is red, When it 57sparkles in the cup, When it 58goes down smoothly;32In the end it 59bites like a snake And stings like a 60viper.33Your eyes will see strange things And your 61mind will 62say perverse things.34And you will be like one who lies down in the 63middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a 64mast.35“They 65struck me, but I did not become 66ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When will I awake? I will 67seek 68another drink.”