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

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

2 F or you will put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to desire.

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

3 B e not desirous of his dainties, for it is deceitful food.

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

4 W eary not yourself to be rich; cease from your own wisdom.

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

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

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

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

7 F or 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.

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

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 your words.

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

10 R emove not the ancient 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 will plead their cause against you.

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

12 A pply your mind to instruction and correction and your ears to words of knowledge.

Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.

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

Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.

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

You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.

15 M y son, if your heart is wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;

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

16 Y es, my heart will rejoice when your lips speak right things.

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

17 L et not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the reverent and worshipful 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 a latter end, and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off.

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

19 H ear, my son, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way.

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

20 D o not associate with winebibbers; be not among them nor among gluttonous eaters of meat,

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 to your father, who begot you, and despise not your 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; not only that, but also get discernment and judgment, instruction and understanding.

Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24 T he 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.

The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.

25 L et your father and your mother be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice.

Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

26 M y son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe and delight in my ways,

Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways.

27 F or a harlot is a deep ditch, and a loose woman is a narrow pit.

For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well.

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

Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men.

29 W ho has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness and dimness 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 hose who tarry long at the wine, those who go to seek and try mixed wine.

Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine.

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

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 bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper.

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

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

34 Y es, 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.

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 Y ou 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.

“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.”