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

When you sit down to eat with a ruler, think about what is in front of you.

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

Put a knife to your neck if you are a man who is given to much eating.

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

Do not desire his special foods, for they are put there for no good reason.

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

Do not work hard to be rich. Stop trying to get things for yourself.

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 upon it, it is gone. For sure, riches make themselves 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 man who thinks only about himself. Do not have a desire for his fine food.

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 in his heart, so is he. 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 spit up the piece of food you have eaten, and waste your good words.

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 hate the wisdom of your words.

10 D o not remove the ancient landmark, Nor enter the fields of the fatherless;

Do not take away the old land-mark, or go into the fields of those without a father.

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

For the One Who saves them is strong. He will stand by them and give them help against you.

12 A pply your heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge.

Open your heart to teaching, and your ears to words of much learning.

13 D o not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.

Do not keep from punishing the child if he needs it. If you beat him with the stick, he will not die.

14 Y ou shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.

Beat him with the stick, and save his soul from hell.

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 will be glad also.

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

My heart will be full of joy 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 be jealous of 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.

For sure 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. Lead your heart in the way.

20 D o not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;

Do not be with those who drink too much wine or eat too much meat.

21 F or the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

For the man who drinks too much or eats too much will become poor, and much sleep will dress a man in torn clothes.

22 L isten to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.

Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not hate 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 teaching 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 one who is right with God will have much joy. He who has 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 mother be glad, and let her who gave birth to you be full of joy.

26 M y son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my ways.

Give me your heart, my son. Let your eyes find joy in my ways.

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

For a woman who sells the use of her body is like a deep hole. A sinful woman is a narrow well.

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

She lies in wait as a robber, and makes many more men not faithful.

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 trouble? Who has sorrow? Who is fighting? Who is complaining? Who is hurt without a reason? Who has eyes that have become red?

30 T hose who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine.

Those who stay a long time 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 at wine when it is red, when it shines in the cup, when it is smooth in going down.

32 A t the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper.

In the end it bites like a snake. It stings like the bite of a snake with poison.

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

Your eyes will see strange things. Your mind will say the wrong 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 center of the sea, or like one who lies above a ship’s sail.

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 hit me, but I was not hurt. They beat me, but I did not know it. When will I wake up? I will look for another drink.”