NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you,

1When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you,

2and put a knife to your throat if you possess a large appetite.

2And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite.

3Do not crave that ruler's delicacies, for that food is deceptive.

3Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food.

4Do not wear yourself out to become rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.

4Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.

5When you gaze upon riches, they are gone, for they surely make wings for themselves, and fly off into the sky like an eagle!

5When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.

6Do not eat the food of a stingy person, do not crave his delicacies;

6Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Or desire his delicacies;

7for he is like someone calculating the cost in his mind. "Eat and drink," he says to you, but his heart is not with you;

7For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, "Eat and drink!" But his heart is not with you.

8you will vomit up the little bit you have eaten, and will have wasted your pleasant words.

8You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten, And waste your compliments.

9Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

9Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

10Do not move an ancient boundary stone, or take over the fields of the fatherless,

10Do not move the ancient boundary Or go into the fields of the fatherless,

11for their Protector is strong; he will plead their case against you.

11For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you.

12Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to the words of knowledge.

12Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.

13Do not withhold discipline from a child; even if you strike him with the rod, he will not die.

13Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.

14If you strike him with the rod, you will deliver him from death.

14You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.

15My child, if your heart is wise, then my heart also will be glad;

15My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad;

16my soul will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.

16And my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak what is right.

17Do not let your heart envy sinners, but rather be zealous in fearing the LORD all the time.

17Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always.

18For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

18Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off.

19Listen, my child, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right way.

19Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way.

20Do not spend time among drunkards, among those who eat too much meat,

20Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;

21because drunkards and gluttons become impoverished, and drowsiness clothes them with rags.

21For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

22Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

22Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.

23Acquire truth and do not sell it--wisdom, and discipline, and understanding.

23Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24The father of a righteous person will rejoice greatly; whoever fathers a wise child will have joy in him.

24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.

25May your father and your mother have joy; may she who bore you rejoice.

25Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

26Give me your heart, my son, and let your eyes observe my ways;

26Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways.

27for a prostitute is like a deep pit; a harlot is like a narrow well.

27For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well.

28Indeed, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.

28Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men.

29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has dullness of the eyes?

29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?

30Those who linger over wine, those who go looking for mixed wine.

30Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine.

31Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.

31Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly;

32Afterward it bites like a snake, and stings like a viper.

32At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper.

33Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will speak perverse things.

33Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things.

34And you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, and like one who lies down on the top of the rigging.

34And 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.

35You will say, "They have struck me, but I am not harmed! They beat me, but I did not know it! When will I awake? I will look for another drink."

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."

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New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org