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Chapter 23
1When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well whatOr who is before you,
2and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
3Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive.
4Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
have the wisdom to show restraint.
5Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
for they will surely sprout wings
and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
6Do not eat the food of a stingy man,
do not crave his delicacies;
7for he is the kind of man
who is always thinking about the cost.Or for as he thinks within himself, / so he is; or for as he puts on a feast, / so he is
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
8You will vomit up the little you have eaten
and will have wasted your compliments.
9Do not speak to a fool,
for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.
10Do not move an ancient boundary stone
or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11for their Defender is strong;
he will take up their case against you.
12Apply your heart to instruction
and your ears to words of knowledge.
13Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
14Punish him with the rod
and save his soul from death.Hebrew Sheol
15My son, if your heart is wise,
then my heart will be glad;
16my inmost being will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.
17Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
18There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.
19Listen, my son, and be wise,
and keep your heart on the right path.
20Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat,
21for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
22Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23Buy the truth and do not sell it;
get wisdom, discipline and understanding.
24The father of a righteous man has great joy;
he who has a wise son delights in him.
25May your father and mother be glad;
may she who gave you birth rejoice!
26My son, give me your heart
and let your eyes keep to my ways,
27for a prostitute is a deep pit
and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28Like a bandit she lies in wait,
and multiplies the unfaithful among men.
29Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30Those who linger over wine,
who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
31Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly!
32In the end it bites like a snake
and poisons like a viper.
33Your eyes will see strange sights
and your mind imagine confusing things.
34You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
lying on top of the rigging.
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?”
Chapter 24
1Do not envy wicked men,
do not desire their company;
2for their hearts plot violence,
and their lips talk about making trouble.
3By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;
4through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.
5A wise man has great power,
and a man of knowledge increases strength;
6for waging war you need guidance,
and for victory many advisers.
7Wisdom is too high for a fool;
in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.
8He who plots evil
will be known as a schemer.
9The schemes of folly are sin,
and men detest a mocker.
10If you falter in times of trouble,
how small is your strength!
11Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
12If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?
13Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
14Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul;
if you find it, there is a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.
15Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house,
do not raid his dwelling place;
16for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
17Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
18or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from him.
19Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of the wicked,
20for the evil man has no future hope,
and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21Fear the LORD and the king, my son,
and do not join with the rebellious,
22for those two will send sudden destruction upon them,
and who knows what calamities they can bring?
Further Sayings of the Wise
23These also are sayings of the wise:
To show partiality in judging is not good:
24Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent”—
peoples will curse him and nations denounce him.
25But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and rich blessing will come upon them.
26An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips.
27Finish your outdoor work
and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house.
28Do not testify against your neighbor without cause,
or use your lips to deceive.
29Do not say, “I'll do to him as he has done to me;
I'll pay that man back for what he did.”
30I went past the field of the sluggard,
past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;
31thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.
32I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
34and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.Or like a vagrant / and scarcity like a beggar
Chapter 25
More Proverbs of Solomon
1These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:
2It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
3As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
4Remove the dross from the silver,
and out comes material forOr comes a vessel from the silversmith;
5remove the wicked from the king's presence,
and his throne will be established through righteousness.
6Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence,
and do not claim a place among great men;
7it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”
than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.
What you have seen with your eyes
8do not bringOr nobleman / on whom you had set your eyes. / 8 Do not go hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame?
9If you argue your case with a neighbor,
do not betray another man's confidence,
10or he who hears it may shame you
and you will never lose your bad reputation.
11A word aptly spoken
is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
12Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear.
13Like the coolness of snow at harvest time
is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him;
he refreshes the spirit of his masters.
14Like clouds and wind without rain
is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.
15Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,
and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
16If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.
17Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house—
too much of you, and he will hate you.
18Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor.
19Like a bad tooth or a lame foot
is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.
20Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
or like vinegar poured on soda,
is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you.
23As a north wind brings rain,
so a sly tongue brings angry looks.
24Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
25Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land.
26Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.
27It is not good to eat too much honey,
nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.
28Like a city whose walls are broken down
is a man who lacks self-control.

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