Chapter 23

When thou sittest⁴ to eat² with a ruler,⁶ consider⁴ diligently² what [is] before thee:

And put¹ a knife to thy throat, if thou [be] a man given to appetite.

Be not desirous¹⁰¹ of his dainties: for they [are] deceitful meat.

Labour⁴ not to be rich:⁵³ cease³ from thine own wisdom.

Wilt thou set^{55 5774 4} thine eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly² make⁴ themselves wings; they fly away^{4 5774 53} as an eagle toward heaven.

Eat⁴ thou not the bread of [him that hath] an evil eye, neither desire¹⁰¹ thou his dainty meats:

For as he thinketh¹ in his heart, so [is] he: Eat³ and drink,³ saith⁴ he to thee; but his heart [is] not with thee.

The morsel [which] thou hast eaten¹ shalt thou vomit up,⁵⁵ and lose¹⁴ thy sweet words.

Speak¹⁷ not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise⁴ the wisdom of thy words.

Remove⁵⁵ not the old landmark; and enter⁴ not into the fields of the fatherless:

For their redeemer⁶ [is] mighty; he shall plead⁴ their cause with thee.

Apply⁵⁴ thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

Withhold⁴ not correction from the child: for [if] thou beatest⁵⁵ him with the rod, he shall not die.⁴

Thou shalt beat⁵⁵ him with the rod, and shalt deliver⁵⁵ his soul from hell.

My son, if thine heart be wise,¹ my heart shall rejoice,⁴ even mine.

Yea, my reins shall rejoice,⁴ when thy lips speak¹⁵ right things.

Let not thine heart envy¹⁷ sinners: but [be thou] in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.¹¹

Hear³ thou, my son, and be wise,³ and guide¹⁶ thine heart in the way.

Be not among winebibbers; ^{5433 6} among riotous eaters⁶ of flesh:

For the drunkard⁶ and the glutton⁶ shall come to poverty:¹¹ and drowsiness shall clothe⁵⁵ [a man] with rags.

Hearken³ unto thy father that begat¹ thee, and despise⁴ not thy mother when she is old.¹

Buy³ the truth, and sell⁴ [it] not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice:⁴ and he that begetteth⁶ a wise [child] shall have joy⁴ of him.

Thy father and thy mother shall be glad,⁴ and she that bare⁶ thee shall rejoice.⁴

My son, give³ me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe^{4 5341 4} my ways.

For a whore⁶ [is] a deep ditch; and a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.

She also lieth in wait⁴ as [for] a prey, and increaseth⁵⁵ the transgressors⁶ among men.

Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? ⁴⁰⁶⁶ who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

They that tarry long¹⁸ at the wine; they that go⁶ to seek² mixed wine.

Look⁴ not thou upon the wine when it is red,¹⁰¹ when it giveth⁴ his colour in the cup, ³⁵⁹⁹ [when] it moveth¹⁰¹ itself aright.

At the last it biteth⁴ like a serpent, and stingeth⁵⁵ like an adder.

Thine eyes shall behold⁴ strange women,⁵ and thine heart shall utter¹⁷ perverse things.

Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down⁶ in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth⁶ upon the top of a mast.

They have stricken⁵² me, [shalt thou say, and] I was not sick;¹ they have beaten¹ me, [and] I felt¹ [it] not: when shall I awake?⁵⁵ I will seek¹⁷ it yet⁵⁵ again.