29 (A)Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
    Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has (B)wounds without cause?
    Who has (C)redness of eyes?
30 Those who (D)tarry long over wine;
    those who go to try (E)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 (F)bites like a serpent
    and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
    and your heart utter (G)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.[a]
35 “They (H)struck me,” you will say,[b] “but I was not hurt;
    they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
    I (I)must have another drink.”

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:34 Or of the rigging
  2. Proverbs 23:35 Hebrew lacks you will say

29 Who is suffering?
    Who is uneasy?
    Who has arguments?
    Who has complaints?
    Who has unnecessary wounds?
    Who has glazed eyes?—
30         those who linger over wine;
        those who go looking for mixed wine.
31 Don’t look at wine when it is red,
    when it sparkles in the cup,
    going down smoothly.
32 In the end, it bites like a snake
    and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
    and your heart will speak distorted words.
34 You will be like one who lies down while out on the sea[a]
    or one who lies on top of a mast.
35 “Though hit, I feel no pain;
    though beaten up, I don’t know anything about it.
When I wake up,
    I’ll look for wine again!”

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:34 Or in the heart of the sea