Proverbs 23: 1 - 24: 34
| 1When you sit to eat with a ruler, |
| consider diligently what is before you; |
| 2put a knife to your throat, |
| if you are a man given to appetite. |
| 3Don’t be desirous of his dainties, |
| since they are deceitful food. |
| 4Don’t weary yourself to be rich. |
| In your wisdom, show restraint. |
| 5Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? |
| For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky. |
| 6Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, |
| and don’t crave his delicacies: |
| 7for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. |
| “Eat and drink!” he says to you, |
| but his heart is not with you. |
| 8The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, |
| and lose your good words. |
| 9Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, |
| for he will despise the wisdom of your words. |
| 10Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. |
| Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless, |
| 11for their Defender is strong. |
| He will plead their case against you. |
| 12Apply your heart to instruction, |
| and your ears to the words of knowledge. |
| 13Don’t withhold correction from a child. |
| If you punish him with the rod, he will not die. |
| 14Punish him with the rod, |
| and save his soul from Sheol. |
| 15My son, if your heart is wise, |
| then my heart will be glad, even mine. |
| 16Yes, my heart will rejoice |
| when your lips speak what is right. |
| 17Don’t let your heart envy sinners, |
| but rather fear the LORD all day long. |
| 18Indeed surely there is a future hope, |
| and your hope will not be cut off. |
| 19Listen, my son, and be wise, |
| and keep your heart on the right path! |
| 20Don’t be amongst ones drinking too much wine, |
| or those who gorge themselves on meat: |
| 21for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; |
| and drowsiness clothes them in rags. |
| 22Listen to your father who gave you life, |
| and don’t despise your mother when she is old. |
| 23Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. |
| Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding. |
| 24The father of the righteous has great joy. |
| Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him. |
| 25Let your father and your mother be glad! |
| Let her who bore you rejoice! |
| 26My son, give me your heart; |
| and let your eyes keep in my ways. |
| 27For a prostitute is a deep pit; |
| and a wayward wife is a narrow well. |
| 28Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, |
| and increases the unfaithful amongst men. |
| 29Who has woe? |
| Who has sorrow? |
| Who has strife? |
| Who has complaints? |
| Who has needless bruises? |
| Who has bloodshot eyes? |
| 30Those who stay long at the wine; |
| those who go to seek out mixed wine. |
| 31Don’t look at the wine when it is red, |
| when it sparkles in the cup, |
| when it goes down smoothly. |
| 32In the end, it bites like a snake, |
| and poisons like a viper. |
| 33Your eyes will see strange things, |
| and your mind will imagine confusing things. |
| 34Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea, |
| or as he who lies on top of the rigging: |
| 35“They hit me, and I was not hurt! |
| They beat me, and I don’t feel it! |
| When will I wake up? I can do it again. |
| I can find another.” |
| 1Don’t be envious of evil men, |
| neither desire to be with them; |
| 2for their hearts plot violence |
| and their lips talk about mischief. |
| 3Through wisdom a house is built; |
| by understanding it is established; |
| 4by knowledge the rooms are filled |
| with all rare and beautiful treasure. |
| 5A wise man has great power; |
| and a knowledgeable man increases strength; |
| 6for by wise guidance you wage your war; |
| and victory is in many advisors. |
| 7Wisdom is too high for a fool. |
| He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate. |
| 8One who plots to do evil |
| will be called a schemer. |
| 9The schemes of folly are sin. |
| The mocker is detested by men. |
| 10If you falter in the time of trouble, |
| your strength is small. |
| 11Rescue those who are being led away to death! |
| Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter! |
| 12If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” |
| doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? |
| He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? |
| Shall he not render to every man according to his work? |
| 13My son, eat honey, for it is good, |
| the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste; |
| 14so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. |
| If you have found it, then there will be a reward: |
| Your hope will not be cut off. |
| 15Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. |
| Don’t destroy his resting place; |
| 16for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again; |
| but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. |
| 17Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. |
| Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown, |
| 18lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, |
| and he turn away his wrath from him. |
| 19Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, |
| neither be envious of the wicked; |
| 20for there will be no reward to the evil man. |
| The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out. |
| 21My son, fear the LORD and the king. |
| Don’t join those who are rebellious; |
| 22for their calamity will rise suddenly. |
| Who knows what destruction may come from them both? |
| 23These also are sayings of the wise. |
| To show partiality in judgement is not good. |
| 24He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” |
| peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him— |
| 25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, |
| and a rich blessing will come on them. |
| 26An honest answer |
| is like a kiss on the lips. |
| 27Prepare your work outside, |
| and get your fields ready. |
| Afterwards, build your house. |
| 28Don’t be a witness against your neighbour without cause. |
| Don’t deceive with your lips. |
| 29Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; |
| I will repay the man according to his work.” |
| 30I went by the field of the sluggard, |
| by the vineyard of the man void of understanding: |
| 31Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. |
| Its surface was covered with nettles, |
| and its stone wall was broken down. |
| 32Then I saw, and considered well. |
| I saw, and received instruction: |
| 33a little sleep, a little slumber, |
| a little folding of the hands to sleep, |
| 34so your poverty will come as a robber |
| and your want as an armed man. |
PUBLIC DOMAIN. "World English Bible" is trademark of eBible.org.
