Proverbs 23:17-35

Christian Standard Bible

¹⁷ Don’t let your heart envy sinners;^(A)
instead, always fear the Lord.^(B)
18 For then you will have a future,
and your hope will not be dashed.^(C)

¹⁹ Listen, my son, and be wise;
keep your mind on the right course.
²⁰ Don’t associate with those who drink too much wine^(D)
or with those who gorge themselves on meat.^(E)
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor,
and grogginess will clothe them in rags.^(F)

²² Listen to your father who gave you life,
and don’t despise your mother when^[a] she is old.^(G)
23 Buy—and do not sell—truth,
wisdom, instruction, and understanding.^(H)
24 The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly,
and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him.^(I)
25 Let your father and mother have joy,^(J)
and let her who gave birth to you rejoice.

²⁶ My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe my ways.
²⁷ For a prostitute is a deep pit,^(K)
and a wayward woman is a narrow well;
²⁸ indeed, she sets an ambush like a robber^(L)
and increases the number of unfaithful people.

²⁹ Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has conflicts? Who has complaints?
Who has wounds for no reason?^(M)
Who has red eyes?
³⁰ Those who linger over wine;
those who go looking for mixed wine.^(N)
31 Don’t gaze at wine because it is red,^(O)
because it gleams in the cup
and goes down smoothly.^(P)
32 In the end it bites like a snake
and stings like a viper.
³³ Your eyes will see strange things,
and you will say absurd things.^[b](Q)
34 You’ll be like someone sleeping out at sea
or lying down on the top of a ship’s mast.
³⁵ “They struck me, but^[c] I feel no pain!
They beat me, but I didn’t know it!^(R)
When will I wake up?
I’ll look for another drink.”^(S)