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

When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you,

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

And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite.

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

Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food.

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

Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.

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.

When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself 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:

Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Or desire his delicacies;

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 within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you.

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

You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten, And waste your compliments.

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

Do not speak in the hearing 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:

Do not move the ancient boundary Or go into the fields of the fatherless,

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

For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you.

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

Apply your heart to discipline 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.

Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike 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 strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.

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

My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad;

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

And my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak what is right.

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

Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the Lord always.

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

Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off.

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

Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way.

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

Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with 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 heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

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

Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.

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

Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and 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 will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise son will be glad 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 rejoice who gave birth to you.

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

Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes 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 pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well.

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

Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless 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 contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?

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

Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste 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 on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, 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 a viper.

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

Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things.

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.

And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on 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.

“They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.”