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23 When you sit down to eat with an official,
    observe carefully what[a] is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
    if you have a big appetite.
Do not desire an official’s[b] delicacies,
    for they are deceptive food.(A)
Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
    be wise enough to desist.(B)
When your eyes light upon it, it is gone,
    for suddenly it takes wings to itself,
    flying like an eagle toward heaven.
Do not eat the bread of the stingy;
    do not desire their delicacies,(C)
for like a hair in the throat, so are they.[c]
    “Eat and drink!” they say to you,
    but they do not mean it.(D)
You will vomit up the little you have eaten,
    and you will waste your pleasant words.
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
    who will only despise the wisdom of your words.(E)
10 Do not remove an ancient landmark
    or encroach on the fields of orphans,(F)
11 for their vindicator[d] is strong;
    he will plead their cause against you.(G)
12 Apply your mind to instruction
    and your ear to words of knowledge.(H)
13 Do not withhold discipline from your children;
    if you beat them with a rod, they will not die.(I)
14 If you beat them with the rod,
    you will save their lives from Sheol.
15 My child, if your heart is wise,
    my heart also will be glad.
16 My soul will rejoice
    when your lips speak what is right.
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
    but always continue in the fear of the Lord.(J)
18 Surely there is a future,
    and your hope will not be cut off.

19 Hear, my child, and be wise,
    and direct your mind in the way.
20 Do not be among winebibbers
    or among gluttonous eaters of meat,(K)
21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
    and drowsiness will clothe them with rags.(L)

22 Listen to your father who begot you,
    and do not despise your mother when she is old.(M)
23 Buy truth, and do not sell it;
    buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.(N)
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
    he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.(O)
25 Let your father and mother be glad;
    let her who bore you rejoice.

26 My child, give me your heart,
    and let your eyes observe[e] my ways.(P)
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit;
    an adulteress[f] is a narrow well.(Q)
28 She lies in wait like a robber
    and increases the number of the faithless.(R)

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
    Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
    Who has redness of eyes?(S)
30 Those who linger late over wine,
    those who keep trying mixed wines.(T)
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
    when it sparkles in the cup
    and goes down smoothly.
32 At the last it bites like a serpent
    and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
    and your mind utter perverse things.(U)
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.[g]
35 “They struck me,” you will say,[h] “but I was not hurt;
    they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
    I will seek another drink.”(V)

24 Do not envy the wicked,
    nor desire to be with them,(W)
for their minds devise violence,
    and their lips talk of mischief.(X)

By wisdom a house is built,
    and by understanding it is established;(Y)
by knowledge the rooms are filled
    with all precious and pleasant riches.
Wise warriors are mightier than strong ones[i]
    and those who have knowledge than those who have strength,(Z)
for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
    and in abundance of counselors there is victory.(AA)
Wisdom is too high for fools;
    in the gate they do not open their mouths.(AB)

Whoever plans to do evil
    will be called a mischief-maker.(AC)
The devising of folly is sin,
    and the scoffer is an abomination to all.

10 If you faint in the day of adversity,
    your strength being small;(AD)
11 if you hold back from rescuing those taken away to death,
    those who go staggering to the slaughter;(AE)
12 if you say, “Look, we did not know this”—
    does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it?
    And will he not repay all according to their deeds?(AF)

13 My child, eat honey, for it is good,
    and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.(AG)
14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
    if you find it, you will find a future,
    and your hope will not be cut off.(AH)

15 Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against the home of the righteous;
    do no violence to the place where the righteous live;(AI)
16 for though they fall seven times, they will rise again,
    but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.(AJ)

17 Do not rejoice when your enemies fall,
    and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble,(AK)
18 lest the Lord see it and be displeased
    and turn away his anger from them.

19 Do not fret because of evildoers.
    Do not envy the wicked,(AL)
20 for the evil have no future;
    the lamp of the wicked will go out.(AM)

21 My child, fear the Lord and the king,
    and do not disobey either of them,[j](AN)
22 for disaster comes from them suddenly,
    and who knows the ruin that both can bring?

Further Sayings of the Wise

23     These also are sayings of the wise:

Partiality in judging is not good.(AO)
24 Whoever says to the wicked, “You are innocent,”
    will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations,(AP)
25 but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
    and a good blessing will come upon them.(AQ)
26 One who gives an honest answer
    gives a kiss on the lips.

27 Prepare your work outside;
    get everything ready for you in the field;
    and after that build your house.

28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
    and do not deceive with your lips.(AR)
29 Do not say, “I will do to others as they have done to me;
    I will pay them back for what they have done.”(AS)

30 I passed by the field of one who was lazy,
    by the vineyard of a stupid person,(AT)
31 and see, it was all overgrown with thorns;
    the ground was covered with nettles,
    and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I saw and considered it;
    I looked and received instruction.
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,(AU)
34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want, like an armed warrior.

Footnotes

  1. 23.1 Or who
  2. 23.3 Heb his
  3. 23.7 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. 23.11 Or redeemer
  5. 23.26 Or delight in
  6. 23.27 Heb alien woman
  7. 23.34 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  8. 23.35 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb lacks you will say
  9. 24.5 Gk Compare Syr Tg: Heb A wise man is strength
  10. 24.21 Gk: Heb do not associate with those who change

Saying 7

23 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
    note well what[a] is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
    if you are given to gluttony.
Do not crave his delicacies,(A)
    for that food is deceptive.

Saying 8

Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
    do not trust your own cleverness.
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,(B)
    for they will surely sprout wings
    and fly off to the sky like an eagle.(C)

Saying 9

Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
    do not crave his delicacies;(D)
for he is the kind of person
    who is always thinking about the cost.[b]
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
    but his heart is not with you.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten
    and will have wasted your compliments.

Saying 10

Do not speak to fools,
    for they will scorn your prudent words.(E)

Saying 11

10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone(F)
    or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Defender(G) is strong;(H)
    he will take up their case against you.(I)

Saying 12

12 Apply your heart to instruction(J)
    and your ears to words of knowledge.

Saying 13

13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
    if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.
14 Punish them with the rod
    and save them from death.(K)

Saying 14

15 My son, if your heart is wise,
    then my heart will be glad indeed;
16 my inmost being will rejoice
    when your lips speak what is right.(L)

Saying 15

17 Do not let your heart envy(M) sinners,
    but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.
18 There is surely a future hope for you,
    and your hope will not be cut off.(N)

Saying 16

19 Listen, my son,(O) and be wise,
    and set your heart on the right path:
20 Do not join those who drink too much wine(P)
    or gorge themselves on meat,
21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,(Q)
    and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

Saying 17

22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
    and do not despise your mother when she is old.(R)
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it—
    wisdom, instruction and insight as well.(S)
24 The father of a righteous child has great joy;
    a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.(T)
25 May your father and mother rejoice;
    may she who gave you birth be joyful!(U)

Saying 18

26 My son,(V) give me your heart
    and let your eyes delight in my ways,(W)
27 for an adulterous woman is a deep pit,(X)
    and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Like a bandit she lies in wait(Y)
    and multiplies the unfaithful among men.

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,(Z)
    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?”(AA)

Saying 20

24 Do not envy(AB) the wicked,
    do not desire their company;
for their hearts plot violence,(AC)
    and their lips talk about making trouble.(AD)

Saying 21

By wisdom a house is built,(AE)
    and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled
    with rare and beautiful treasures.(AF)

Saying 22

The wise prevail through great power,
    and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
Surely you need guidance to wage war,
    and victory is won through many advisers.(AG)

Saying 23

Wisdom is too high for fools;
    in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.

Saying 24

Whoever plots evil
    will be known as a schemer.
The schemes of folly are sin,
    and people detest a mocker.

Saying 25

10 If you falter in a time of trouble,
    how small is your strength!(AH)
11 Rescue those being led away to death;
    hold back those staggering toward slaughter.(AI)
12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
    does not he who weighs(AJ) the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
    Will he not repay(AK) everyone according to what they have done?(AL)

Saying 26

13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
    honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
14 Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:
    If you find it, there is a future hope for you,
    and your hope will not be cut off.(AM)

Saying 27

15 Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous,
    do not plunder their dwelling place;
16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,
    but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.(AN)

Saying 28

17 Do not gloat(AO) when your enemy falls;
    when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,(AP)
18 or the Lord will see and disapprove
    and turn his wrath away from them.(AQ)

Saying 29

19 Do not fret(AR) because of evildoers
    or be envious of the wicked,
20 for the evildoer has no future hope,
    and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.(AS)

Saying 30

21 Fear the Lord and the king,(AT) my son,
    and do not join with rebellious officials,
22 for those two will send sudden destruction(AU) on them,
    and who knows what calamities they can bring?

Further Sayings of the Wise

23 These also are sayings of the wise:(AV)

To show partiality(AW) in judging is not good:(AX)
24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,”(AY)
    will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
    and rich blessing will come on them.

26 An honest answer
    is like a kiss on the lips.

27 Put your outdoor work in order
    and get your fields ready;
    after that, build your house.

28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause(AZ)
    would you use your lips to mislead?
29 Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me;
    I’ll pay them back for what they did.”(BA)

30 I went past the field of a sluggard,(BB)
    past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
31 thorns had come up everywhere,
    the ground was covered with weeds,
    and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed
    and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest(BC)
34 and poverty will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man.(BD)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:1 Or who
  2. Proverbs 23:7 Or for as he thinks within himself, / so he is; or for as he puts on a feast, / so he is