New American Standard Bible 1995

International Standard Version

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12Learn diligently, and listen to words of knowledge.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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."

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."

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

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