Proverbs 23:15-24:22

English Standard Version

¹⁹ Hear, my son, and ^(H)be wise,
    and ^(I)direct your heart in the way.
²⁰ Be not among ^(J)drunkards^[b]
    or among ^(K)gluttonous eaters of meat,
²¹ for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
    and ^(L)slumber will clothe them with rags.

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

²⁶ My son, give me your heart,
    and let your eyes observe^[c] my ways.
²⁷ For a prostitute is ^(S)a deep pit;
    ^(T)an adulteress^[d] is a narrow ^(U)well.
^28 (V)She lies in wait like a robber
    and increases the traitors among mankind.

^29 (W)Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
    Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has ^(X)wounds without cause?
    Who has ^(Y)redness of eyes?
³⁰ Those who ^(Z)tarry long over wine;
    those who go to try ^(AA)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 ^(AB)bites like a serpent
    and stings like an adder.
³³ Your eyes will see strange things,
    and your heart utter ^(AC)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.^[e]
35 “They ^(AD)struck me,” you will say,^[f] “but I was not hurt;
    they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
    I ^(AE)must have another drink.”
24 Be not ^(AF)envious of evil men,
    nor desire to be ^(AG)with them,
² for their hearts ^(AH)devise violence,
    and their lips ^(AI)talk of trouble.

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

⁸ Whoever ^(AQ)plans to do evil
    will be called a schemer.
^9 (AR)The devising^[g] of folly is sin,
    and ^(AS)the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

¹⁰ If you ^(AT)faint in the day of adversity,
    your strength is small.
^11 (AU)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,”
    ^(AV)does not he who ^(AW)weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who ^(AX)keeps watch over your soul know it,
    and will he not repay man ^(AY)according to his work?

¹³ My son, ^(AZ)eat honey, for it is good,
    and ^(BA)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 ^(BB)a future,
    and your hope will not be cut off.

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

^17 (BG)Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
    and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
¹⁸ lest the Lord see it and be displeased,
    and turn away his anger from him.

^19 (BH)Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
    and be not ^(BI)envious of the wicked,
²⁰ for the evil man has no ^(BJ)future;
    ^(BK)the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

²¹ My son, ^(BL)fear the Lord and the king,
    and do not join with those who do otherwise,
²² for disaster will arise suddenly from them,
    and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?