International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Whenever you sit down to dine with a ruler, carefully think about what is before you.

1When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you,

2Put a knife to your own throat, if you have a big appetite.

2And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite.

3Don't crave his delicacies, because the meal is deceptive.

3Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food.

4Don't exhaust yourself acquiring wealth; be smart enough to stop.

4Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.

5When you fix your gaze on it, it's gone, for it sprouts wings for itself and flies to the sky like an eagle.

5When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.

6Don't consume food provided by a miserly person, and don't desire his delicacies,

6Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Or desire his delicacies;

7for as he thinks within himself, so he is. "Eat and drink!" he'll say to you, but his heart won't be with you.

7For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, "Eat and drink!" But his heart is not with you.

8You'll vomit up what little you've eaten, and your compliments will have been wasted.

8You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten, And waste your compliments.

9Don't speak when a fool is listening, because he'll despise your wise words.

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

10Don't move ancient boundaries or invade fields belonging to orphans;

10Do not move the ancient boundary Or go into the fields of the fatherless,

11for strong is their Redeemer who will take up their case against you.

11For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you.

12Learn diligently, and listen to words of knowledge.

12Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.

13Don't withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with a rod, he won't die.

13Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.

14Punish him with a rod, and you will rescue his soul from Sheol.

14You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.

15My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will greatly rejoice.

15My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad;

16My innermost being will be glad when your lips speak what is right.

16And my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak what is right.

17Never let yourself envy sinners; instead, remain in fear of the LORD every day,

17Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always.

18for there is surely a future life, and what you hope for will not be cut off.

18Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off.

19Listen, my son, and be wise, commit yourself to live God's way.

19Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way.

20Don't associate with heavy drinkers or dine with gluttons,

20Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;

21because drunks and gluttons tend to become poor, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.

21For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

22Listen to the one who fathered you, and don't despise your mother in her old age.

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

23Purchase truth, but don't sell it; store up wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

23Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24The father of a righteous person will greatly rejoice; whoever fathers a wise son will be glad because of him.

24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.

25Let your father and mother rejoice; make the one who gave birth to you happy.

25Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

26Give me your heart, my son, and keep your eyes fixed on my ways,

26Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways.

27because a prostitute is a deep pit, and the adulterous woman a narrow well.

27For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well.

28Surely she lies in wait like a bandit, increasing those who are faithless among mankind.

28Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men.

29Who has woe? Who has grief? Who has contention? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has bloodshot eyes?

29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?

30Those who linger over their wine, who consume mixed drinks.

30Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine.

31Don't stare into red wine, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.

31Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly;

32Eventually it will bite like a snake and sting like a serpent.

32At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper.

33Your eyes will see strange things, and with slurred words you'll speak what you really believe.

33Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things.

34You will be like someone who lies down in the sea, or like someone who sleeps on top of a mast.

34And 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 struck me," you will say, "but I never felt it. They beat me, but I never knew it When will I wake up? I want another drink."

35"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."

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org