Font Size
Proverbs 23:26-35
New International Version
Proverbs 23:26-35
New International Version
Saying 18
26 My son,(A) give me your heart
and let your eyes delight in my ways,(B)
27 for an adulterous woman is a deep pit,(C)
and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Like a bandit she lies in wait(D)
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,(E)
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?”(F)
Proverbs 23:26-35
King James Version
Proverbs 23:26-35
King James Version
26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Read full chapter
Proverbs 23:26-35
New King James Version
Proverbs 23:26-35
New King James Version
26 My son, give me your heart,
And let your eyes observe my ways.
27 (A)For a harlot is a deep pit,
And a seductress is a narrow well.
28 (B)She also lies in wait as for a victim,
And increases the unfaithful among men.
29 (C)Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who (D)has redness of eyes?
30 (E)Those who linger long at the wine,
Those who go in search of (F)mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it [a]swirls around smoothly;
32 At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things.
34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the [b]midst of the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:
35 “They(G) have struck me, but I was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.
When shall (H)I awake, that I may seek another drink?”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 23:31 goes around
- Proverbs 23:34 Lit. heart
Proverbs 23:26-35
English Standard Version
Proverbs 23:26-35
English Standard Version
26 My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe[a] my ways.
27 For a prostitute is (A)a deep pit;
(B)an adulteress[b] is a narrow (C)well.
28 (D)She lies in wait like a robber
and increases the traitors among mankind.
29 (E)Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has (F)wounds without cause?
Who has (G)redness of eyes?
30 Those who (H)tarry long over wine;
those who go to try (I)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 (J)bites like a serpent
and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart utter (K)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.[c]
35 “They (L)struck me,” you will say,[d] “but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I (M)must have another drink.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 23:26 Or delight in
- Proverbs 23:27 Hebrew a foreign woman
- Proverbs 23:34 Or of the rigging
- Proverbs 23:35 Hebrew lacks you will say
Proverbs 23:26-35
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 23:26-35
New American Standard Bible
26 (A)Give me your heart, my son,
And let your eyes [a](B)delight in my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a (C)deep pit,
And a [b](D)strange woman is a narrow well.
28 Certainly she (E)lurks as a robber,
And increases the treacherous among mankind.
29 Who has (F)woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has red eyes?
30 Those who (G)linger long over wine,
Those who go to [c]taste (H)mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
When it [d]sparkles in the cup,
When it (I)goes down smoothly;
32 In the end it (J)bites like a snake
And stings like a (K)viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things
And your [e]mind will (L)say perverse things.
34 And you will be like one who lies down in the [f]middle of the sea,
Or like one who lies down on the top of a [g]mast.
35 “They (M)struck me, but I did not become [h]ill;
They beat me, but I did not know it.
When will I awake?
I will (N)seek [i]another drink.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 23:26 Another reading is observe
- Proverbs 23:27 Lit foreign
- Proverbs 23:30 Or search out
- Proverbs 23:31 Lit gives its eye
- Proverbs 23:33 Lit heart
- Proverbs 23:34 Lit heart
- Proverbs 23:34 Or lookout
- Proverbs 23:35 I.e., from the effect of wounds
- Proverbs 23:35 Lit it yet again
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.