23:1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what [is] before thee:
23:1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you;

23:2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou [be] a man given to appetite.
23:2 And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite.

23:3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they [are] deceitful meat.
23:3 Do not desire his delicacies, For they are deceptive food.

23:4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
23:4 Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease!

23:5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
23:5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

23:6 Eat thou not the bread of [him that hath] an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
23:6 Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies;

23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart [is] not with thee.
23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, But his heart is not with you.

23:8 The morsel [which] thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
23:8 The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, And waste your pleasant words.

23:9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
23:9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

23:10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
23:10 Do not remove the ancient landmark, Nor enter the fields of the fatherless;

23:11 For their redeemer [is] mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
23:11 For their Redeemer is mighty; He will plead their cause against you.

23:12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
23:12 Apply your heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge.

23:13 Withhold not correction from the child: for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
23:13 Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.

23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
23:14 You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.

23:15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
23:15 My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice--indeed, I myself;

23:16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
23:16 Yes, my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak right things.

23:17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but [be thou] in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
23:17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day;

23:18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
23:18 For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.

23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
23:19 Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way.

23:20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
23:20 Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;

23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe [a man] with rags.
23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

23:22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23:22 Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.

23:23 Buy the truth, and sell [it] not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
23:23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

23:24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise [child] shall have joy of him.
23:24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.

23:25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
23:25 Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice.

23:26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
23:26 My son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my ways.

23:27 For a whore [is] a deep ditch; and a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.
23:27 For a harlot is a deep pit, And a seductress is a narrow well.

23:28 She also lieth in wait as [for] a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
23:28 She also lies in wait as for a victim, And increases the unfaithful among men.

23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?

23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
23:30 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine.

23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.
23:31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly;

23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
23:32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper.

23:33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
23:33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things.

23:34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
23:34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:

23:35 They have stricken me, [shalt thou say, and] I was not sick; they have beaten me, [and] I felt [it] not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
23:35 "They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?"