Proverbs 22:11-24:17

English Standard Version

^22 (P)Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,
    or ^(Q)crush the afflicted at ^(R)the gate,
²³ for ^(S)the Lord will plead their cause
    and rob of life those who rob them.
²⁴ Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
    nor go with a wrathful man,
²⁵ lest you learn his ways
    and entangle yourself in a snare.
²⁶ Be not one of those who ^(T)give pledges,
    who put up security for debts.
²⁷ If you have nothing with which to pay,
    why should ^(U)your bed be taken from under you?
²⁸ Do not move the ancient ^(V)landmark
    that your fathers have set.
²⁹ Do you see a man skillful in his work?
    He will ^(W)stand before kings;
    he will not stand before obscure men.

23 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
    observe carefully what^[b] is before you,
² and put a knife to your throat
    if you are given to appetite.
^3 (X)Do not desire his delicacies,
    for they are deceptive food.
^4 (Y)Do not toil to acquire wealth;
    ^(Z)be discerning enough to desist.
⁵ When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
    ^(AA)for suddenly it sprouts wings,
    flying like an eagle toward heaven.
^6 (AB)Do not eat the bread of a man who is ^(AC)stingy;^{[c]
    (AD)}do not desire his delicacies,
⁷ for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.^[d]
    “Eat and drink!” he says to you,
    but his ^(AE)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 (AF)Do not move an ancient landmark
    or enter the fields of the fatherless,
¹¹ for their ^(AG)Redeemer is strong;
    he will ^(AH)plead their cause against you.
¹² Apply your heart to instruction
    and your ear to words of knowledge.
¹³ Do not withhold ^(AI)discipline from a child;
    ^(AJ)if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
¹⁴ If you strike him with the rod,
    you will ^(AK)save his soul from Sheol.
^15 (AL)My son, if your heart is wise,
    my heart too will be glad.
¹⁶ My ^(AM)inmost being^[e] will exult
    when your lips speak ^(AN)what is right.
¹⁷ Let not your heart ^(AO)envy sinners,
    but continue in ^(AP)the fear of the Lord all the day.
¹⁸ Surely ^(AQ)there is a future,
    and your ^(AR)hope will not be cut off.

¹⁹ Hear, my son, and ^(AS)be wise,
    and ^(AT)direct your heart in the way.
²⁰ Be not among ^(AU)drunkards^[f]
    or among ^(AV)gluttonous eaters of meat,
²¹ for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
    and ^(AW)slumber will clothe them with rags.

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

²⁶ My son, give me your heart,
    and let your eyes observe^[g] my ways.
²⁷ For a prostitute is ^(BD)a deep pit;
    ^(BE)an adulteress^[h] is a narrow ^(BF)well.
^28 (BG)She lies in wait like a robber
    and increases the traitors among mankind.

^29 (BH)Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
    Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has ^(BI)wounds without cause?
    Who has ^(BJ)redness of eyes?
³⁰ Those who ^(BK)tarry long over wine;
    those who go to try ^(BL)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 ^(BM)bites like a serpent
    and stings like an adder.
³³ Your eyes will see strange things,
    and your heart utter ^(BN)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.^[i]
35 “They ^(BO)struck me,” you will say,^[j] “but I was not hurt;
    they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
    I ^(BP)must have another drink.”
24 Be not ^(BQ)envious of evil men,
    nor desire to be ^(BR)with them,
² for their hearts ^(BS)devise violence,
    and their lips ^(BT)talk of trouble.

³ By ^(BU)wisdom a house is built,
    and by understanding it is established;
⁴ by knowledge the rooms are filled
    with all ^(BV)precious and pleasant riches.
^5 (BW)A wise man is full of strength,
    and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
⁶ for by ^(BX)wise guidance you can wage your war,
    and in ^(BY)abundance of counselors there is victory.
⁷ Wisdom is ^(BZ)too high for a fool;
    in ^(CA)the gate he does not open his mouth.

⁸ Whoever ^(CB)plans to do evil
    will be called a schemer.
^9 (CC)The devising^[k] of folly is sin,
    and ^(CD)the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

¹⁰ If you ^(CE)faint in the day of adversity,
    your strength is small.
^11 (CF)Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
    hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
¹² If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
    ^(CG)does not he who ^(CH)weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who ^(CI)keeps watch over your soul know it,
    and will he not repay man ^(CJ)according to his work?

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

^15 (CN)Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;
    do no violence to his home;
^16 (CO)for the righteous falls ^(CP)seven times and rises again,
    but ^(CQ)the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

^17 (CR)Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
    and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,