King James New American Standard Bible
  • 1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
  • 2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
  • 3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
  • 4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
  • 5 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 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
  • 7 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 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
  • 9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
  • 10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
  • 11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
  • 12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
  • 13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
  • 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
  • 15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
  • 16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
  • 17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
  • 18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
  • 19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
  • 20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
  • 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
  • 22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
  • 23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
  • 24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
  • 25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
  • 26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
  • 27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
  • 28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
  • 29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
  • 30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
  • 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
  • 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
  • 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse 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.
  • 35 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.
  • 1 When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you,
  • 2 And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite.
  • 3 Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food.
  • 4 Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.
  • 5 When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.
  • 6 Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Or desire his delicacies;
  • 7 For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you.
  • 8 You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten, And waste your compliments.
  • 9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words.
  • 10 Do not move the ancient boundary Or go into the fields of the fatherless,
  • 11 For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you.
  • 12 Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.
  • 13 Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
  • 14 You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.
  • 15 My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad;
  • 16 And my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak what is right.
  • 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always.
  • 18 Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off.
  • 19 Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way.
  • 20 Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;
  • 21 For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.
  • 22 Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.
  • 23 Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.
  • 24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.
  • 25 Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.
  • 26 Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways.
  • 27 For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well.
  • 28 Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men.
  • 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
  • 30 Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine.
  • 31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly;
  • 32 At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper.
  • 33 Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things.
  • 34 And 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.
  • 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.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission.