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20 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
    and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.(A)

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20 Wine is a mocker,(A) beer is a brawler;
whoever goes astray[a] because of them is not wise.

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Footnotes

  1. 20:1 Or whoever staggers

17 Whoever loves pleasure will suffer want;
    whoever loves wine and oil will not be rich.

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17 The one who loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and oil will not get rich.(A)

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20 Do not be among winebibbers
    or among gluttonous eaters of meat,(A)
21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
    and drowsiness will clothe them with rags.(B)

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20 Don’t associate with those who drink too much wine(A)
or with those who gorge themselves on meat.(B)
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor,
and grogginess will clothe them in rags.(C)

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29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
    Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
    Who has redness of eyes?(A)
30 Those who linger late over wine,
    those who keep trying mixed wines.(B)
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.(C)
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.[a]
35 “They struck me,” you will say,[b] “but I was not hurt;
    they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
    I will seek another drink.”(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 23.34 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 23.35 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb lacks you will say

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has conflicts? Who has complaints?
Who has wounds for no reason?(A)
Who has red eyes?
30 Those who linger over wine;
those who go looking for mixed wine.(B)
31 Don’t gaze at wine because it is red,(C)
because it gleams in the cup
and goes down smoothly.(D)
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.[a](E)
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[b] I feel no pain!
They beat me, but I didn’t know it!(F)
When will I wake up?
I’ll look for another drink.”(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 23:33 Or will speak perversities, or inverted things
  2. 23:35 LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read me,” you will say, “but

It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
    it is not for kings to drink wine
    or for rulers to desire[a] strong drink,(A)
lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
    and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
Give strong drink to one who is perishing
    and wine to those in bitter distress;
let them drink and forget their poverty
    and remember their misery no more.

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Footnotes

  1. 31.4 Cn: Heb where

It is not for kings, Lemuel,
it is not for kings(A) to drink wine(B)
or for rulers to desire beer.
Otherwise, he will drink,
forget what is decreed,(C)
and pervert justice for all the oppressed.[a](D)
Give beer to one who is dying
and wine to one whose life is bitter.(E)
Let him drink so that he can forget his poverty
and remember his trouble no more.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 31:5 Lit sons of affliction