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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave 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 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 thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

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 thy words.

Don’t speak 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:

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

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

for their Defender 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 instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.

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

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

Punish him with the rod, and save 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, then 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 what is right.

17 L et not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the 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 an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

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

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

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 unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy 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; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, 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 has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights 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! 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 keep in my ways.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

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

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 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 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.”