Proverbs 23 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 23 ▼
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1 If thou shalt sit to eat with a ruler, understanding, thou shalt understand what 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 swallow if thou the possessor of a soul. 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 Thou shalt not long for his dainties: and it is the bread of lies. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.
4 Thou shalt not labor to become rich: cease from thy 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 cause thine eyes to fly upon it and it is not? for making, it will make to it wings; as an eagle and it flew to the heavens. 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 Thou shalt not eat the bread of an evil eye, and ye shall not long for its 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 Like him estimating evil in his soul, so is he: Eat and drink, he will say to thee; and his heart 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 Thy morsel which thou didst eat thou shalt vomit forth and destroy thy pleasant 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 In the ears of the foolish thou shalt not speak, for he will despise for the understanding 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 Thou shalt not remove the old bound; and into the field of the orphans thou shalt not come: 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 he redeeming them, he is strong; he will contend their contention 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 Bring thy heart to 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 Thou shalt not withhold instruction from youth: if thou shalt strike him with a rod he shall 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 shalt strike him with the rod, and thou shalt deliver his soul from hades. 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 shall rejoice, 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 And my reins shall exult in the speaking of thy lips uprightnesses. 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 Thy heart shall not envy against those sinning: but be in the fear of Jehovah 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 But there is a latter state, and thine expectation 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 right 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 Thou shalt not be with those drinking wine to excess, and with squanderers of flesh to them: 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 squanderer shall be dispossessed: and slumber shall clothe 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 Hear to thy father that begat thee, and thou shalt not despise thy mother when growing 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 thou shalt not sell 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 just one rejoicing, shall rejoice: he shall beget a wise one and shall rejoice in 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 Thy father shall rejoice, and thy mother, and she begetting thee shall exult. 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, thou shalt give thy heart to me, and thine eyes shall delight in my way. 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 a strong woman a narrow well. 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 will lie in wait as for prey, and she will add those transgressing 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 To whom wo? to whom want? to whom strife? to whom complaint? to whom wounds gratuitously? to whom dark flashings of the 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 To those remaining at the wine; to those going to seek 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 Thou shalt not look upon wine when it shall be red, when it shall give its eye in the cup, it will go about in uprightnesses. 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 Its latter state it will bite as serpent, and sting as a viper. 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 see strange women, and thy heart shall speak perverseness. 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 And thou wert as he lying down in the heart of the sea, and as he lying down upon the head of the 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 struck me, I was not pained; they beat me, I knew not: when shall I awake? I will add, I will yet seek it. “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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