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

When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;

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

put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.

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

Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.

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

Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.

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.

Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.

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

Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave 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 about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, 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.

The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.

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

Don’t speak in the ears 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,

Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless:

11 F or their Redeemer is mighty; He will plead their cause against you.

for their Defender 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 instruction, and your ears to the 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.

Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish 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).

Punish him with the rod, and save 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, then my heart will be glad, even mine:

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

yes, my heart 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.

Don’t let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear Yahweh all the day long.

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

Indeed surely there is a future hope, 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 keep your heart on the right path!

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

Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on 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 become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

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

Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t 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 the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, 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 has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights 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! Let her who bore you rejoice!

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

My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.

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

For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife 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.

Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful 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 strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

30 T hose who tarry long at the wine, those who go to seek and try mixed wine.

Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.

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

Don’t look at 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.

In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons 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 imagine confusing 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.

Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:

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 hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I don’t feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another.”