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

¶ When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee;

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

and put a knife to thy throat if thou art a man given to appetite.

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

Do not be desirous of his dainties; for they are deceitful food.

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

¶ Do not labour to be rich; cease from thine 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.

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon riches which are not? For they shall certainly make themselves wings; they shall fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

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 anyone who has an evil 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 soul, so is he; Eat and drink, he shall say unto thee, but his heart is not with thee.

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

Didst thou eat thy part? Thou shalt vomit it up and lose thy sweet words.

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

¶ Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the prudence of thy words.

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

¶ Do not remove the old landmark, and do not enter into the inheritance of the fatherless:

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

For their redeemer is mighty; he shall judge their cause against thee.

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

¶ Apply thine heart unto chastening and thine ears to the words of wisdom.

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

Do not withhold correction from the child; for if thou shall beat him with the rod, he shall not die.

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

Thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol.

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

My son, if thy heart is wise, my heart shall also rejoice;

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

my kidneys shall also rejoice when thy 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 thy heart envy sinners, but persevere in the fear of the LORD all day long.

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

For surely there is an end, and thy hope shall not be cut off.

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

¶ Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and straighten thy heart in the way.

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

Do not be among those who are drunk with wine; nor among gluttonous eaters of food;

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 cause them to wear rags.

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

Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy 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, also 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 shall greatly rejoice, and he that begets a wise child shall have joy with him.

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

Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice.

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

My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

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

For a whore is a deep ditch and a strange 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 for a prey and increases the transgressors 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?

¶ For who shall be the woe? for who shall be the woe? for who contention? for who quarrels? for who the wounds without cause? who shall have redness of eyes?

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

For those that tarry long at the wine; those that go to seek 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 upon the wine when it is red, when it gives its colour in the cup, 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.

Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall 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.

Yea, thou shalt be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea or as he that sleeps at the rudder.

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 have stricken me, thou shalt say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not; when I shall awake, I will seek it yet again.