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20 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
    and any who go astray by it are not wise.

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20 Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler.
    Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

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20 Wine(A) is a mocker(B) and beer a brawler;
    whoever is led astray(C) by them is not wise.(D)

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17 A man of want is he who loves pleasure;
    he who loves wine and oil[a] will not become rich.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:17 Or “fat”

17 He who loves pleasure will be a poor man.
    He who loves wine and oil won’t be rich.

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17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
    whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.(A)

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20 Do not be among drinkers of wine,
    among gluttonous eaters of their meat.[a]
21 For the drunkard and gluttonous, they will become poor,
    and with rags, drowsiness will clothe them.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:20 Literally “meat for them”

20 Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine,
    or those who gorge themselves on meat:
21 for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor;
    and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

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20 Do not join those who drink too much wine(A)
    or gorge themselves on meat,
21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,(B)
    and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

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29 To whom is woe? To whom is sorrow? To whom are quarrels? To whom is complaint?
    To whom are wounds without cause? To whom is redness of the eyes?
30 To those who linger over wine,
    to those who come to try mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
    when it sparkles[a] on the cup,
    going down smoothly.
32 In the end,[b] it will bite like a serpent,
    and it will sting like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
    and your heart[c] will speak perverse things.
34 And you will be like him who lies down in the heart of the sea,
    and like him who lies down on top of a mast.
35 “They struck me; I was not hurt. They beat me; I did not know it.
    When I will awake, I will continue; I will seek it again.”

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:31 Literally “gives its eye”
  2. Proverbs 23:32 Literally “end him”
  3. Proverbs 23:33 Or “mind”

29 Who has woe?
    Who has sorrow?
    Who has strife?
    Who has complaints?
    Who has needless bruises?
    Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Those who stay long at the wine;
    those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Don’t look at the wine when it is red,
    when it sparkles in the cup,
    when it goes down smoothly.
32 In the end, it bites like a snake,
    and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
    and your mind will imagine confusing things.
34 Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea,
    or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
35 “They hit me, and I was not hurt!
    They beat me, and I don’t feel it!
    When will I wake up? I can do it again.
    I can find another.”

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Saying 19

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
    Who has strife? Who has complaints?
    Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Those who linger over wine,(A)
    who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
    when it sparkles in the cup,
    when it goes down smoothly!
32 In the end it bites like a snake
    and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange sights,
    and your mind will imagine confusing things.
34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
    lying on top of the rigging.
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
    They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up
    so I can find another drink?”(B)

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It is not for the kings, O Lemuel;
    drinking wine is not for the kings,
    nor is strong drink for rulers.
Or else he will drink and forget what has been decreed,
    and he will pervert the rights[a] of all the afflicted.[b]
Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
    and wine to those in bitter distress.[c]
He will drink and forget his poverty,
    and his misery he will not remember any more.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:5 Hebrew “right”
  2. Proverbs 31:5 Literally “sons of affliction”
  3. Proverbs 31:6 Literally “to bitterness of soul”

It is not for kings, Lemuel,
    it is not for kings to drink wine,
    nor for princes to say, ‘Where is strong drink?’
lest they drink, and forget the law,
    and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.
Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish,
    and wine to the bitter in soul.
Let him drink, and forget his poverty,
    and remember his misery no more.

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It is not for kings, Lemuel—
    it is not for kings to drink wine,(A)
    not for rulers to crave beer,
lest they drink(B) and forget what has been decreed,(C)
    and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
Let beer be for those who are perishing,
    wine(D) for those who are in anguish!
Let them drink(E) and forget their poverty
    and remember their misery no more.

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