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23 När du sitter till bords med en mäktig man,
    tänk då på vem du har framför dig.
Sätt kniven på din strupe
    om du vill frossa.
Längta inte efter hans delikatesser,
    för de kan vara bedräglig mat.

Slit inte ut dig för att bli rik.
    Var förståndig och avstå.
När du blickar[a] efter rikedomen är den redan borta,
    den gör sig vingar och flyger som en örn mot himlen.

Ät inte den ondsintes[b] mat.
    Längta inte efter hans läckerheter.
Han tänker bara på sina kostnader;
    han säger till dig: ”Ät och drick!”
        men menar det inte.
Det lilla du ätit får du spy upp,
    och dina vackra ord är bortkastade.

Tala inte till en dåre.
    Han föraktar dina kloka ord.

10 Flytta inte en uråldrig gränssten,
    och gör inte intrång på de faderlösas mark.
11 Deras försvarare är stark,
    och han kommer själv att ta sig an deras sak mot dig.

12 Ta till dig kritik,
    och lyssna till kunskapens ord.

13 Undanhåll inte den unge fostran,
    för om du tuktar honom med ris slipper han dö.
14 Straffa honom med ris
    och rädda honom från dödsriket.

15 Min son, om du blir vis
    gläder jag mig.
16 Det blir min innerliga glädje
    om du talar det som är rätt.

17 Var inte avundsjuk på syndare,
    utan sträva hela tiden efter att frukta Herren.
18 Då har du verkligen en framtid,
    och ditt hopp kommer inte att svikas.

19 Lyssna, min son, var vis
    och håll dina tankar på rätt väg.
20 Håll dig borta från dem
    som super och frossar på kött,
21 för drinkare och frossare blir utfattiga,
    och dåsigheten klär dem i trasor.

22 Lyssna till din far som gett dig livet,
    och förakta inte din mor när hon blir gammal.
23 Ta till dig sanningen och sälj den inte,
    förvärva vishet, vägledning och insikt.
24 Den rättfärdiges far får fröjdas,
    en vis son blir till stor glädje för honom.
25 Låt din far och mor glädjas,
    låt henne som fött dig få jubla.

26 Min son, lita på mig
    och ta mig som förebild.
27 Den prostituerade är en djup grop
    och den främmande kvinnan en trång brunn.
28 Som en bandit ligger hon på lur,
    och männen som är otrogna blir bara fler och fler.

29 Vem har bedrövelse och sorg?
    Vem grälar och slåss?
Vem har sår utan orsak?
    Vem har blodsprängda ögon?
30 Den som blir kvar vid vinbägaren
    och tar sig den ena drinken efter den andra av det kryddade vinet.
31 Stirra inte på det röda vinet som glittrar i bägaren,
    för det rinner ner så lätt.
32 Till slut biter det som en giftorm,
    stinger som en huggorm.[c]
33 Du ser underliga syner,
    och du tänker perversa tankar.
34 Du är som om du låg mitt ute på havet,
    eller satt uppe i den svajande masten[d].
35 ”Någon måste ha slagit mig, men jag kände ingen smärta,
    någon måste ha gett mig stryk, men det märkte jag inte.
När ska jag vakna upp ur mitt rus,
    så att jag kan ta mig en sup till?”

Footnotes

  1. 23:5 Grundtextens satskonstruktion är något svårförståelig.
  2. 23:6 Ordagrant: den som har ett ont öga.
  3. 23:32 Grundtextens exakta innebörd är osäker.
  4. 23:34 den svajande masten – grundtextens innebörd är osäker.

Listen to Your Father

23 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is before you;
And put a knife to your throat
If you are a man given to appetite.
Do not desire his delicacies,
For they are deceptive food.

(A)Do not overwork to be rich;
(B)Because of your own understanding, cease!
[a]Will you set your eyes on that which is not?
For riches certainly make themselves wings;
They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

Do not eat the bread of (C)a[b] miser,
Nor desire his delicacies;
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
“Eat and drink!” (D)he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.
The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up,
And waste your pleasant words.

(E)Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

10 Do not remove the ancient [c]landmark,
Nor enter the fields of the fatherless;
11 (F)For their Redeemer is mighty;
He will plead their cause against you.

12 Apply your heart to instruction,
And your ears to words of knowledge.

13 (G)Do not withhold correction from a child,
For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
14 You shall beat him with a rod,
And deliver his soul from [d]hell.

15 My son, if your heart is wise,
My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself;
16 Yes, my [e]inmost being will rejoice
When your lips speak right things.

17 (H)Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But (I)be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day;
18 (J)For surely there is a [f]hereafter,
And your hope will not be cut off.

19 Hear, my son, and be wise;
And guide your heart in the way.
20 (K)Do not mix with winebibbers,
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

22 (L)Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.

23 (M)Buy the truth, and do not sell it,
Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24 (N)The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who bore you rejoice.

26 My son, give me your heart,
And let your eyes observe my ways.
27 (O)For a harlot is a deep pit,
And a seductress is a narrow well.
28 (P)She also lies in wait as for a victim,
And increases the unfaithful among men.

29 (Q)Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who (R)has redness of eyes?
30 (S)Those who linger long at the wine,
Those who go in search of (T)mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it [g]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 [h]midst of the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:
35 “They(U) have struck me, but I was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.
When shall (V)I awake, that I may seek another drink?

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:5 Lit. Will you cause your eyes to fly upon it and it is not?
  2. Proverbs 23:6 Lit. one who has an evil eye
  3. Proverbs 23:10 boundary
  4. Proverbs 23:14 Or Sheol
  5. Proverbs 23:16 Lit. kidneys
  6. Proverbs 23:18 Future, lit. latter end
  7. Proverbs 23:31 goes around
  8. Proverbs 23:34 Lit. heart

23 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
    observe carefully what[a] is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
    if you are given to appetite.
(A)Do not desire his delicacies,
    for they are deceptive food.
(B)Do not toil to acquire wealth;
    (C)be discerning enough to desist.
When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
    (D)for suddenly it sprouts wings,
    flying like an eagle toward heaven.
(E)Do not eat the bread of a man who is (F)stingy;[b]
    (G)do not desire his delicacies,
for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.[c]
    “Eat and drink!” he says to you,
    but his (H)heart is not with you.
You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,
    and waste your pleasant words.
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
    for he will despise the good sense of your words.
10 (I)Do not move an ancient landmark
    or enter the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their (J)Redeemer is strong;
    he will (K)plead their cause against you.
12 Apply your heart to instruction
    and your ear to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold (L)discipline from a child;
    (M)if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14 If you strike him with the rod,
    you will (N)save his soul from Sheol.
15 (O)My son, if your heart is wise,
    my heart too will be glad.
16 My (P)inmost being[d] will exult
    when your lips speak (Q)what is right.
17 Let not your heart (R)envy sinners,
    but continue in (S)the fear of the Lord all the day.
18 Surely (T)there is a future,
    and your (U)hope will not be cut off.

19 Hear, my son, and (V)be wise,
    and (W)direct your heart in the way.
20 Be not among (X)drunkards[e]
    or among (Y)gluttonous eaters of meat,
21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
    and (Z)slumber will clothe them with rags.

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

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

29 (AK)Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
    Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has (AL)wounds without cause?
    Who has (AM)redness of eyes?
30 Those who (AN)tarry long over wine;
    those who go to try (AO)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 (AP)bites like a serpent
    and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
    and your heart utter (AQ)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.[h]
35 “They (AR)struck me,” you will say,[i] “but I was not hurt;
    they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
    I (AS)must have another drink.”

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:1 Or who
  2. Proverbs 23:6 Hebrew whose eye is evil
  3. Proverbs 23:7 Or for as he calculates in his soul, so is he
  4. Proverbs 23:16 Hebrew My kidneys
  5. Proverbs 23:20 Hebrew those who drink too much wine
  6. Proverbs 23:26 Or delight in
  7. Proverbs 23:27 Hebrew a foreign woman
  8. Proverbs 23:34 Or of the rigging
  9. Proverbs 23:35 Hebrew lacks you will say