23 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:

And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.

Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:

11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.

12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.

16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.

17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.

18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.

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.

Advice About Appetites

23 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
consider carefully what is set before you,
and put a knife to your throat
if you possess a large appetite.
Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich.
Be wise enough to restrain yourself.
When you cast your eyes on riches, it is gone;
for it surely sprouts wings and flies off into the sky like an eagle.

Do not eat the food of a stingy person,
or desire his delicacies.
For as he thinks within himself, so is he.
    “Eat and drink”, he says to you,
    but his heart is not with you.
You will vomit up the morsel you ate,
and will waste your pleasant words.
Do not speak in the ears of a fool,
for he will disdain the wisdom of your words.

10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone,
or encroach on fields of the fatherless,
11 for their redeemer is strong.
He will plead their case against you.

12 Apply your heart to discipline
and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold correction from a child.
If you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14 Punish him with a rod,
and deliver his soul from Sheol.

Wisdom’s Path to the Future

15 My son, if your heart is wise,
then my heart also will be glad.
16 Yes, my inmost being will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.

17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be in the fear of Adonai.
18 For surely there is a future,
and your hope will never be cut off.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise,
and guide your heart in the right way.

20 Do not join those drinking too much wine
or gorging on meat,
21 for both drunkards and gluttons will be impoverished—
grogginess will clothe them with rags.

22 Listen to your father who begot you
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Acquire truth and do not sell it,
acquire wisdom, instruction and understanding.
24 The father of a righteous one rejoices greatly.
Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad,
let she who bore you rejoice!
26 My son, give your heart to me,
and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit,
an adulterous woman is a narrow pit.
28 Indeed, she lies in wait like a robber,
and increases the unfaithful among men.

Lingering Long Over Wine

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has fights? Who has complaining?
Who has bruises for no reason?
Who has red eyes?
30 Those who linger long over wine,
who go looking for mixed wine.
31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it glides down smoothly.
32 In the end it bites like a serpent
and stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things.
Your heart will utter perverse things.
34 Then you will be like one lying down in the heart of the sea,
or sprawled on the top of a mast.
35 “They hit me! But I was not hurt.
They beat me up! But I did not feel it.
When will I wake up?
I will look for another drink.”

On Life and Conduct

23 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is [set] before you;

For you will put a knife to your throat
If you are a man of great appetite.

Do not desire his delicacies,
For it is deceptive food [offered to you with questionable motives].


Do not weary yourself [with the overwhelming desire] to gain wealth;
Cease from your own understanding of it.(A)

When you set your eyes on wealth, it is [suddenly] gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies to the heavens.


Do not eat the bread of a selfish man,
Or desire his delicacies;

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior—one who manipulates].
He says to you, “Eat and drink,”
Yet his heart is not with you [but it is begrudging the cost].

The morsel which you have eaten you will vomit up,
And you will waste your compliments.


Do not speak in the ears of a fool,
For he will despise the [godly] wisdom of your words.(B)

10 
Do not move the ancient landmark [at the boundary of the property]
And do not go into the fields of the fatherless [to take what is theirs],(C)
11 
For their Redeemer is strong and mighty;
He will plead their case against you.
12 
Apply your heart to discipline
And your ears to words of knowledge.

13 
Do not withhold discipline from the child;
If you [a]swat him with a reed-like rod [applied with godly wisdom], he will not die.
14 
You shall [b]swat him with the reed-like rod
And rescue his life from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

15 
My son, if your heart is wise,
My heart will also be glad;
16 
Yes, my heart will rejoice
When your lips speak right things.

17 
Do not let your heart envy sinners [who live godless lives and have no hope of salvation],
But [continue to] live in the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the Lord day by day.
18 
Surely there is a future [and a reward],
And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.
19 
Listen, my son, and be wise,
And direct your heart in the way [of the Lord].
20 
Do not associate with heavy drinkers of wine,
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat,(D)
21 
For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And the drowsiness [of overindulgence] will clothe one with rags.

22 
Listen to your father, who sired you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 
[c]Buy truth, and do not sell it;
Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24 
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who sires a wise child will have joy in him.
25 
Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who gave birth to you rejoice [in your wise and godly choices].

26 
My son, give me your heart
And let your eyes delight in my ways,
27 
For a prostitute is a deep pit,
And an immoral woman is a narrow well.
28 
She lurks and lies in wait like a robber [who waits for prey],
And she increases the faithless among men.

29 
Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Whose eyes are red and dim?
30 
Those who linger long over wine,
Those who go to taste mixed wine.(E)
31 
Do not look at wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the glass,
When it goes down smoothly.
32 
At the last it bites like a serpent
And stings like a viper.
33 
Your [drunken] eyes will see strange things
And your mind will utter perverse things [untrue things, twisted things].
34 
And you will be [as unsteady] as one who lies down in the middle of the sea,
And [as vulnerable to disaster] as one who lies down on the top of a ship’s mast, saying,
35 
“They struck me, but I was not hurt!
They beat me, but I did not feel it!
When will I wake up?
I will seek more wine.”

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:13 Lit smite.
  2. Proverbs 23:14 Lit smite.
  3. Proverbs 23:23 The ancient rabbis routinely assumed “truth” to refer to the Torah (Law), and they interpreted the first part of this command to mean that a student should pay a teacher to teach him the Torah if he can find no one to teach him for free. As for the second part, they said that if the student had to pay to learn, he should not view this as grounds to charge for teaching others, but should teach the Torah for free.