Proverbs 23

On Life And Conduct

1When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is [set] before you; 2For you will put a knife to your throat
If you are a man of great appetite. 3Do not desire his delicacies,
For it is deceptive food [offered to you with questionable motives]. 4Do not weary yourself [with the overwhelming desire] to gain wealth;
Cease from your own understanding of it. 5When you set your eyes on wealth, it is [suddenly] gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies to the heavens. 6Do not eat the bread of a selfish man,
Or desire his delicacies; 7For 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]. 8The morsel which you have eaten you will vomit up,
And you will waste your compliments. 9Do not speak in the ears of a fool,
For he will despise the [godly] wisdom of your words. 10Do 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], 11For their Redeemer is strong and mighty;
He will plead their case against you. 12Apply your heart to discipline
And your ears to words of knowledge. 13Do not withhold discipline from the child;
If you swat him with a reed-like rod [applied with godly wisdom], he will not die. 14You shall swat him with the reed-like rod
And rescue his life from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead). 15My son, if your heart is wise,
My heart will also be glad; 16Yes, my heart will rejoice
When your lips speak right things. 17Do 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. 18Surely there is a future [and a reward],
And your hope and expectation will not be cut off. 19Listen, my son, and be wise,
And direct your heart in the way [of the LORD]. 20Do not associate with heavy drinkers of wine,
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat, 21For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And the drowsiness [of overindulgence] will clothe one with rags. 22Listen to your father, who sired you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old. 23Buy truth, and do not sell it;
Get wisdom and instruction and understanding. 24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who sires a wise child will have joy in him. 25Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who gave birth to you rejoice [in your wise and godly choices]. 26My son, give me your heart
And let your eyes delight in my ways, 27For a prostitute is a deep pit,
And an immoral woman is a narrow well. 28She lurks and lies in wait like a robber [who waits for prey],
And she increases the faithless among men. 29Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Whose eyes are red and dim? 30Those who linger long over wine,
Those who go to taste mixed wine. 31Do not look at wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the glass,
When it goes down smoothly. 32At the last it bites like a serpent
And stings like a viper. 33Your [drunken] eyes will see strange things
And your mind will utter perverse things [untrue things, twisted things]. 34And 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.”