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Chapter 23
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Verse 1

When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you:

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:

Verse 2

And put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.

And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.

Verse 3

Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.

Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

Verse 4

Do not labor to be rich; cease from your own wisdom.

Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

Verse 5

Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as 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.

Verse 6

Do not eat the bread of him who has an evil eye, nor desire his delicacies:

Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:

Verse 7

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: "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.

Verse 8

The morsel which you have eaten, you shall vomit up, and lose your sweet words.

The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

Verse 9

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

Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

Verse 10

Do not remove the ancient landmark, and do not enter the fields of the fatherless:

Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:

Verse 11

For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with you.

For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.

Verse 12

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

Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

Verse 13

Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with the rod, he will not die.

Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

Verse 14

You shall beat him with the rod, and deliver his soul from hell.

Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

Verse 15

My son, if your heart is wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.

My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.

Verse 16

Yes, my inmost being shall rejoice, when your lips speak right things.

Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.

Verse 17

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the LORD all day long.

Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

Verse 18

For surely there is an end, and your expectation shall not be cut off.

For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Verse 19

Hear, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the way.

Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

Verse 20

Do not be among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of meat:

Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

Verse 21

For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Verse 22

Listen to your father who begot you, 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.

Verse 23

Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

Verse 24

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child shall have joy of him.

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

Verse 25

Your father and your mother shall be glad, and she who bore you shall rejoice.

Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.

Verse 26

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.

Verse 27

For a prostitute is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

Verse 28

She also lies in wait as for a prey, and increases the transgressors among men.

She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.

Verse 29

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? 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?

Verse 30

Those who linger long at the wine, those who go to seek mixed wine.

They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Verse 31

Do not look upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls smoothly.

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

Verse 32

At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper.

At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

Verse 33

Your eyes shall see strange things, and your heart shall utter perverse things.

Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

Verse 34

Yes, you shall be as one who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as one who lies upon 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.

Verse 35

"They have struck me," you shall say, "and I was not hurt; they have beaten me, and I did not feel it; when shall I awake, I will seek it yet again."

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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Chapter 23
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