1 W hen you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;

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

2 p ut a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.

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

3 D on’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.

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

4 D on’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.

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

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

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 D on’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies:

¶ Do not eat the bread of anyone who has an evil eye, neither desire his dainty foods;

7 f or as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

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

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

9 D on’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

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

10 D on’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on 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 Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.

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

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

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

13 D on’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.

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

14 P unish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol.

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

15 M y son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine:

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

16 y es, my heart will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right.

my kidneys shall also rejoice when thy lips speak right things.

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

¶ Let not thy heart envy sinners, but persevere in the fear of the LORD all day long.

18 I ndeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.

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

19 L isten, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!

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

20 D on’t be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat:

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 become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall cause them to wear rags.

22 L isten to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your 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 don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.

Buy the truth and sell it not, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24 T he father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he that begets a wise child shall have joy with him.

25 L et your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!

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

26 M y son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.

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

27 F or a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.

For a whore is a deep ditch and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

28 Y es, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.

She also lies in wait as for a prey and increases the transgressors among men.

29 W ho has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot 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 hose who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.

For those that tarry long at the wine; those that go to seek mixed wine.

31 D on’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.

Do not look upon the wine when it is red, when it gives its colour in the cup, it goes down smoothly.

32 I n the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.

At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

33 Y our eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.

Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

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

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

35 “ 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.”

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.