Proverbs 23
Christian Standard Bible
23 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
consider carefully what[a] is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you have a big[b] appetite;
3 don’t desire his choice food,(A)
for that food is deceptive.
4 Don’t wear yourself out to get rich;(B)
because you know better, stop!
5 As soon as your eyes fly to it, it disappears,(C)
for it makes wings for itself
and flies like an eagle to the sky.
6 Don’t eat a stingy person’s bread,[c](D)
and don’t desire his choice food,(E)
7 for it’s like someone calculating inwardly.[d](F)
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.(G)
8 You will vomit the little you’ve eaten
and waste your pleasant words.
10 Don’t move an ancient boundary marker,(I)
and don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Redeemer is strong,(J)
and he will champion their cause against you.(K)
12 Apply yourself to discipline
and listen to words of knowledge.
13 Don’t withhold discipline from a youth;
if you punish him with a rod, he will not die.(L)
14 Punish him with a rod,
and you will rescue his life from Sheol.(M)
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
my heart will indeed rejoice.(N)
16 My innermost being will celebrate
when your lips say what is right.(O)
17 Don’t let your heart envy sinners;(P)
instead, always fear the Lord.(Q)
18 For then you will have a future,
and your hope will not be dashed.(R)
19 Listen, my son, and be wise;
keep your mind on the right course.
20 Don’t associate with those who drink too much wine(S)
or with those who gorge themselves on meat.(T)
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor,
and grogginess will clothe them in rags.(U)
22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
and don’t despise your mother when[f] she is old.(V)
23 Buy—and do not sell—truth,
wisdom, instruction, and understanding.(W)
24 The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly,
and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him.(X)
25 Let your father and mother have joy,(Y)
and let her who gave birth to you rejoice.
26 My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit,(Z)
and a wayward woman is a narrow well;
28 indeed, she sets an ambush like a robber(AA)
and increases the number of unfaithful people.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has conflicts? Who has complaints?
Who has wounds for no reason?(AB)
Who has red eyes?
30 Those who linger over wine;
those who go looking for mixed wine.(AC)
31 Don’t gaze at wine because it is red,(AD)
because it gleams in the cup
and goes down smoothly.(AE)
32 In the end it bites like a snake
and stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and you will say absurd things.[g](AF)
34 You’ll be like someone sleeping out at sea
or lying down on the top of a ship’s mast.
35 “They struck me, but[h] I feel no pain!
They beat me, but I didn’t know it!(AG)
When will I wake up?
I’ll look for another drink.”(AH)
Footnotes
Proverbs 23
English Standard Version
23 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
observe carefully what[a] is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.
3 (A)Do not desire his delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.
4 (B)Do not toil to acquire wealth;
(C)be discerning enough to desist.
5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
(D)for suddenly it sprouts wings,
flying like an eagle toward heaven.
6 (E)Do not eat the bread of a man who is (F)stingy;[b]
(G)do not desire his delicacies,
7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.[c]
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
but his (H)heart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,
and waste your pleasant words.
9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
for he will despise the good sense of your words.
10 (I)Do not move an ancient landmark
or enter the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their (J)Redeemer is strong;
he will (K)plead their cause against you.
12 Apply your heart to instruction
and your ear to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold (L)discipline from a child;
(M)if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14 If you strike him with the rod,
you will (N)save his soul from Sheol.
15 (O)My son, if your heart is wise,
my heart too will be glad.
16 My (P)inmost being[d] will exult
when your lips speak (Q)what is right.
17 Let not your heart (R)envy sinners,
but continue in (S)the fear of the Lord all the day.
18 Surely (T)there is a future,
and your (U)hope will not be cut off.
19 Hear, my son, and (V)be wise,
and (W)direct your heart in the way.
20 Be not among (X)drunkards[e]
or among (Y)gluttonous eaters of meat,
21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
and (Z)slumber will clothe them with rags.
22 (AA)Listen to your father who gave you life,
(AB)and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 (AC)Buy truth, and do not sell it;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
24 (AD)The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
25 (AE)Let your father and mother be glad;
let (AF)her who bore you rejoice.
26 My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe[f] my ways.
27 For a prostitute is (AG)a deep pit;
(AH)an adulteress[g] is a narrow (AI)well.
28 (AJ)She lies in wait like a robber
and increases the traitors among mankind.
29 (AK)Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has (AL)wounds without cause?
Who has (AM)redness of eyes?
30 Those who (AN)tarry long over wine;
those who go to try (AO)mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup
and goes down smoothly.
32 In the end it (AP)bites like a serpent
and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart utter (AQ)perverse things.
34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
like one who lies on the top of a mast.[h]
35 “They (AR)struck me,” you will say,[i] “but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I (AS)must have another drink.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 23:1 Or who
- Proverbs 23:6 Hebrew whose eye is evil
- Proverbs 23:7 Or for as he calculates in his soul, so is he
- Proverbs 23:16 Hebrew My kidneys
- Proverbs 23:20 Hebrew those who drink too much wine
- Proverbs 23:26 Or delight in
- Proverbs 23:27 Hebrew a foreign woman
- Proverbs 23:34 Or of the rigging
- Proverbs 23:35 Hebrew lacks you will say
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
