Proverbs

1When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which [is] before thee,

2And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.

3Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it [is] lying food.

4Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.

5For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.

6Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,

7For as he hath thought in his soul, so [is] he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart [is] not with thee.

8Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that [are] sweet.

9In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.

10Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,

11For their Redeemer [is] strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.

12Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.

13Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.

14Thou with a rod smitest him, And his soul from Sheol thou deliverest.

15My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,

16And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.

17Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.

18For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.

19Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,

20Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,

21For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.

22Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.

23Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,

24The father of the righteous rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.

25Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.

26Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways.

27For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a strait pit.

28She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.

29Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?

30Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.

31See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.

32Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.

33Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.

34And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.

35'They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake — I seek it yet again!'

1When you sit to eat with a ruler,consider diligently what is before you;

2put a knife to your throatif 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.

8You will vomit up the morsel which you have eatenand waste your pleasant 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 rejoicewhen 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 among 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 among 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 will look for more.”