20 Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls.
    Those led astray by drink cannot be wise.

¹¹     to worship other gods.

“Wine has robbed my people
    of their understanding.

⁷ Now, however, Israel is led by drunks
    who reel with wine and stagger with alcohol.
The priests and prophets stagger with alcohol
    and lose themselves in wine.
They reel when they see visions
    and stagger as they render decisions.

⁴ It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine.
    Rulers should not crave alcohol.

¹⁵ “What sorrow awaits you who make your neighbors drunk!
    You force your cup on them
    so you can gloat over their shameful nakedness.
¹⁶ But soon it will be your turn to be disgraced.
    Come, drink and be exposed!^[a]
Drink from the cup of the Lord’s judgment,
    and all your glory will be turned to shame.

²⁹ Who has anguish? Who has sorrow?
    Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining?
    Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
³⁰ It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns,
    trying out new drinks.
³¹ Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is,
    how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.
³² For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake;
    it stings like a viper.
³³ You will see hallucinations,
    and you will say crazy things.
³⁴ You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea,
    clinging to a swaying mast.
³⁵ And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it.
    I didn’t even know it when they beat me up.
When will I wake up
    so I can look for another drink?”