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| When thou sittest to eat with a ruler,
consider diligently what is before thee: 2 And put a knife to thy throat,
if thou be a man given to appetite. 3 Be not desirous of his dainties:
for they are deceitful meat.
4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 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. 6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: 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. 8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. 9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. 10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: 11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee. 12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. 13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. 15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. 16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. 17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. 18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. 19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. 20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. 22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. 23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. 25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. 26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. 27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit. 28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men. 29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? (8675) who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. 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. 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. |
When dining with a ruler, pay attention to
what is put before you. 2 If you are a big eater, put a knife to your throat,
3 and don’t desire all the delicacies—deception may be involved.
4 Don’t weary yourself trying to get rich. Why waste your time? 5 For riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird! 6 Don’t eat with people who are stingy; don’t desire their delicacies. 7 “Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it. They are always thinking about how much it costs. 8 You will vomit up the delicious food they serve, and you will have to take back your words of appreciation for their “kindness.” 9 Don’t waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice. 10 Don’t steal the land of defenseless orphans by moving the ancient boundary markers, 11 for their Redeemer is strong. He himself will bring their charges against you. 12 Commit yourself to instruction; attune your ears to hear words of knowledge. 13 Don’t fail to correct your children. They won’t die if you spank them. 14 Physical discipline may well save them from death. 15 My child, how I will rejoice if you become wise. 16 Yes, my heart will thrill when you speak what is right and just. 17 Don’t envy sinners, but always continue to fear the Lord. 18 For surely you have a future ahead of you; your hope will not be disappointed. 19 My child, listen and be wise. Keep your heart on the right course. 20 Do not carouse with drunkards and gluttons, 21 for they are on their way to poverty. Too much sleep clothes a person with rags. 22 Listen to your father, who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother’s experience when she is old. 23 Get the truth and don’t ever sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and discernment. 24 The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure it is to have wise children. 25 So give your parents joy! May she who gave you birth be happy. 26 O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes delight in my ways of wisdom. 27 A prostitute is a deep pit; an adulterous woman is treacherous. 28 She hides and waits like a robber, looking for another victim who will be unfaithful to his wife. 29 Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? 30 It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks. 31 Don’t let the sparkle and smooth taste of wine deceive you. 32 For in the end it bites like a poisonous serpent; it stings like a viper. 33 You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. 34 You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. 35 And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it. I didn’t even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can have another drink?” |