23 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully ^[a]what is before you,
² And put a knife to your throat
If you are a ^(A)person of great appetite.
³ Do not ^(B)desire his delicacies,
For it is deceptive food.

⁶ One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.

^10 [a]Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is one who hires a fool or hires those who pass by.

²⁴ One who ^(A)hates disguises it with his lips,
But he harbors ^(B)deceit in his ^[a]heart.
²⁵ When ^[b]he ^(C)speaks graciously, do not believe him,
Because there are seven abominations in his heart.
²⁶ Though his hatred ^(D)covers itself with deception,
His wickedness will be ^(E)revealed in the assembly.
²⁷ One who ^(F)digs a pit will fall into it,
And one who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
²⁸ A lying tongue hates ^[c]those it crushes,
And a ^(G)flattering mouth works ruin.

⁶ Faithful are the ^(A)wounds of a friend,
But ^[a]deceitful are the ^(B)kisses of an enemy.

⁵ A man who ^(A)flatters his neighbor
Is spreading a net for his steps.