Proverbs 23 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 23 ▼
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JPS Tanakh 1917
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English Standard Version
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1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider well him that is before thee; When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you, When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you,
2 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 appetite. and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties; Seeing they are deceitful food. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.
4 Weary not thyself to be rich; Cease from thine own wisdom. Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone; For riches certainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like 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.
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, Neither desire thou his dainties; Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies, Do not eat the food of a begrudging host, do not crave his delicacies;
7 For as one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: 'Eat and drink', saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee. for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. 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.
8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, And lose thy sweet words. You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words. You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words. Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words. Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark; And enter not into the fields of the fatherless; Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause with thee. for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you. for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you.
12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge. Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge. Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the child; For though thou beat him with the rod, he will not die. Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.
14 Thou beatest him with the rod, And wilt deliver his soul from the nether-world. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. Punish them with the rod and save them from death.
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart will be glad, even mine; My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed;
16 Yea, my reins will rejoice, When thy lips speak right things. My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right. my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, But be in the fear of the LORD all the day; Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day. Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
18 For surely there is a future; And thy hope shall not be cut off. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And guide thy heart in the way. Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path:
20 Be not among winebibbers; Among gluttonous eaters of flesh; Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; And drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begot 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 do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; Also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. Buy the truth and do not sell it— wisdom, instruction and insight as well.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; And he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.
25 Let thy father and thy mother be glad, And let her that bore thee rejoice. Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice. May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful!
26 My son, give me thy heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways. My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways. My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways,
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch; And an alien woman is a narrow pit. For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well. for an adulterous woman is a deep pit, and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 She also lieth in wait as a robber, And increaseth the faithless among men. She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind. Like a bandit she lies in wait and multiplies the unfaithful among men.
29 Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? Who hath contentions? who hath raving? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; They that go to try mixed wine. Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it giveth its colour in the cup, When it glideth down smoothly; Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like a basilisk. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange things, And thy heart shall utter confused things. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
34 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 who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.
35 They have struck me, and I felt it not, They have beaten me, and I knew it not; When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.' “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 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?”
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