Proverbs 23

New Life Version

23 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, think about what is in front of you. ² Put a knife to your neck if you are a man who is given to much eating. ³ Do not desire his special foods, for they are put there for no good reason.

⁴ Do not work hard to be rich. Stop trying to get things for yourself. ⁵ 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 Do not eat the bread of a man who thinks only about himself. Do not have a desire for his fine food. ⁷ 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 You will spit up the piece of food you have eaten, and waste your good words.

⁹ Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will hate the wisdom of your words.

¹⁰ Do not take away the old land-mark, or go into the fields of those without a father. ¹¹ For the One Who saves them is strong. He will stand by them and give them help against you. ¹² Open your heart to teaching, and your ears to words of much learning.

¹³ Do not keep from punishing the child if he needs it. If you beat him with the stick, he will not die. ¹⁴ Beat him with the stick, and save his soul from hell.

¹⁵ My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will be glad also. ¹⁶ My heart will be full of joy when your lips speak what is right.

¹⁷ Do not let your heart be jealous of sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always. ¹⁸ For sure there is a future and your hope will not be cut off. ¹⁹ Listen, my son, and be wise. Lead your heart in the way. ²⁰ Do not be with those who drink too much wine or eat too much meat. ²¹ 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 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not hate your mother when she is old. ²³ Buy truth, and do not sell it. Get wisdom and teaching and understanding.

²⁴ 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 Let your father and mother be glad, and let her who gave birth to you be full of joy.

²⁶ Give me your heart, my son. Let your eyes find joy in my ways. ²⁷ For a woman who sells the use of her body is like a deep hole. A sinful woman is a narrow well. ²⁸ She lies in wait as a robber, and makes many more men not faithful.

²⁹ 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 Those who stay a long time over wine. Those who go to taste mixed wine. ³¹ Do not look at wine when it is red, when it shines in the cup, when it is smooth in going down. ³² In the end it bites like a snake. It stings like the bite of a snake with poison. ³³ Your eyes will see strange things. Your mind will say the wrong things. ³⁴ 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 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.”