1 W hen thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:

When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider who and what are before you;

2 a nd put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.

For you will put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to desire.

3 B e not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

Be not desirous of his dainties, for it is deceitful food.

4 L abour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

Weary not yourself to be rich; cease from your own wisdom.

5 W ilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

Will you set your eyes upon wealth, when it is gone? For riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.

6 E at thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:

Eat not the bread of him who has a hard, grudging, and envious eye, neither desire his dainty foods;

7 f or as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. As one who reckons, he says to you, eat and drink, yet his heart is not with you.

8 T he morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

The morsel which you have eaten you will vomit up, and your complimentary words will be wasted.

9 S peak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

Speak not in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the Wisdom of your words.

10 R emove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:

Remove not the ancient landmark and enter not into the fields of the fatherless,

11 f or their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.

For their Redeemer is mighty; He will plead their cause against you.

12 A pply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

Apply your mind to instruction and correction and your ears to words of knowledge.

13 W ithhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

Withhold not discipline from the child; for if you strike and punish him with the rod, he will not die.

14 T hou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

You shall whip him with the rod and deliver his life from Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead).

15 M y son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.

My son, if your heart is wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;

16 Y ea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.

Yes, my heart will rejoice when your lips speak right things.

17 L et not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.

Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord all the day long.

18 F or surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

For surely there is a latter end, and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off.

19 H ear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way.

20 B e not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

Do not associate with winebibbers; be not among them nor among gluttonous eaters of meat,

21 f or the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

22 H earken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

Hearken to your father, who begot you, and despise not your mother when she is old.

23 B uy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

Buy the truth and sell it not; not only that, but also get discernment and judgment, instruction and understanding.

24 T he father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

The father of the righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) shall greatly rejoice, and he who becomes the father of a wise child shall have joy in him.

25 T hy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.

Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice.

26 M y son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe and delight in my ways,

27 F or a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a loose woman is a narrow pit.

28 S he also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.

She also lies in wait as a robber or as one waits for prey, and she increases the treacherous among men.

29 W ho hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness and dimness of eyes?

30 t hey that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Those who tarry long at the wine, those who go to seek and try mixed wine.

31 L ook not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the wineglass, when it goes down smoothly.

32 A t the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

33 T hine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

your eyes will behold strange things and your mind will utter things turned the wrong way.

34 Y ea, 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.

Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, and as he who lies upon the top of a mast.

35 T hey 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.

You will say, They struck me, but I was not hurt! They beat me, but I did not feel it! When shall I awake? I will crave and seek more wine again.