Proverbs 23 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 23 ▼
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BSB
Berean Standard Bible
ESV
English Standard Version
KJV
King James Version
NIV
New International Version
NLT
New Living Translation
1 When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is set before you, When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you, When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, While dining with a ruler, pay attention to what is put before you.
2 and put a knife to your throat if you possess a great appetite. and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. If you are a big eater, put a knife to your throat;
3 Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive. don’t desire all the delicacies, for he might be trying to trick you.
4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit.
5 When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.
6 Do not eat the bread of a stingy man, and do not crave his delicacies; Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies, Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: Do not eat the food of a begrudging host, do not crave his delicacies; Don’t eat with people who are stingy; don’t desire their delicacies.
7 for he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. for he is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. They are always thinking about how much it costs. “Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it.
8 You will vomit up what little you have eaten and waste your pleasant words. You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words. The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments. You will throw up what little you’ve eaten, and your compliments will be wasted.
9 Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words. Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words. Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words. Don’t waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice.
10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers; don’t take the land of defenseless orphans.
11 for their Redeemer is strong; He will take up their case against you. for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you. For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee. for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you. For their Redeemer is strong; he himself will bring their charges against you.
12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge. Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; although you strike him with a rod, he will not die. Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. Don’t fail to discipline your children. The rod of punishment won’t kill them.
14 Strike him with a rod, and you will deliver his soul from Sheol. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. Punish them with the rod and save them from death. Physical discipline may well save them from death.
15 My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice. My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed; My child, if your heart is wise, my own heart will rejoice!
16 My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right. My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right. Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right. Everything in me will celebrate when you speak what is right.
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD. Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day. Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. Don’t envy sinners, but always continue to fear the LORD.
18 For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. You will be rewarded for this; your hope will not be disappointed.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right course. Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path: My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course.
20 Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat. Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags. for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags. for they are on their way to poverty, and too much sleep clothes them in rags.
22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Listen to your father, who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
23 Invest in truth and never sell it—in wisdom and instruction and understanding. Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. Buy the truth and do not sell it— wisdom, instruction and insight as well. Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.
24 The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise.
25 May your father and mother be glad, and may she who gave you birth rejoice! Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful! So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy.
26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways. My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways. My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways, O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well. For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well. For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit. for an adulterous woman is a deep pit, and a wayward wife is a narrow well. A prostitute is a dangerous trap; a promiscuous woman is as dangerous as falling into a narrow well.
28 Like a robber she lies in wait and multiplies the faithless among men. She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind. She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men. Like a bandit she lies in wait and multiplies the unfaithful among men. She hides and waits like a robber, eager to make more men unfaithful.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes? Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Those who linger over wine, who go to taste mixed drinks. Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks.
31 Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.
32 In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will utter perversities. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things. You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things.
34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas or lying on the top of a mast: You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast.
35 “They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I did not know it! When can I wake up to search for another drink?” “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.” They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again. “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?” And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it. I didn’t even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?”
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