1 W hen you sit down to eat with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you;

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

2 A nd put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite.

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

3 D o not desire his delicacies, For they are deceptive food.

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

4 D o not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease!

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

5 W ill you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like 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 D o not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies;

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. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But 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 you have eaten, you will vomit up, And waste your pleasant words.

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

9 D o not speak in the hearing 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 D o not remove the ancient landmark, Nor enter 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 heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge.

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

13 D o not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a 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 beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.

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 rejoice—indeed, I myself;

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

16 Y es, my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak right things.

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

17 D o not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day;

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

18 F or surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will 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 guide your heart in the way.

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

20 D o not mix with winebibbers, Or with 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 will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

22 L isten to your father who begot you, And do not despise 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 do not sell it, 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 will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight 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 my ways.

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

27 F or a harlot is a deep pit, And a seductress is a narrow well.

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

28 S he also lies in wait as for a victim, And increases the unfaithful among men.

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

29 W ho has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has 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 hose who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine.

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

31 D o not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around 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 a viper.

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

33 Y our eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things.

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

34 Y es, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:

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 “ They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink? ”

“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.”