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

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

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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 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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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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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

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, 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