Proverbs 23 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 23 ▼
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1 When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is 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:
2 and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. 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.
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.
4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
5 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. 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.
6 Do not eat the food of a begrudging host, 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:
7 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. 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.
8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments. 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.
9 Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent 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.
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:
11 for their Defender 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.
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.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they 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.
14 Punish them with the rod and save them from death. 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.
15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed; 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.
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.
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for 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.
18 There is surely a future hope for you, 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.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path: 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.
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:
21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes 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.
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.
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it— wisdom, instruction and insight as well. 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.
24 The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices 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.
25 May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful! 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.
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.
27 for an adulterous woman is a deep pit, and a wayward wife 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.
28 Like a bandit she lies in wait and multiplies the unfaithful 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.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? 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?
30 Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. 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.
31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it 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.
32 In the end it bites like a snake and poisons 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.
33 Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things. 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.
34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. 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.
35 “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?” “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.
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