English Standard Version

New Living Translation

When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
observe carefully whata is before you,

1

While dining with a ruler,
pay attention to what is put before you.

2

and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.

2

If you are a big eater,
put a knife to your throat;

3

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

3

don’t desire all the delicacies,
for he might be trying to trick you.

4

Do not toil to acquire wealth;
be discerning enough to desist.

4

Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.
Be wise enough to know when to quit.

5

When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
for suddenly it sprouts wings,
flying like an eagle toward heaven.

5

In the blink of an eye wealth disappears,
for it will sprout wings
and fly away like an eagle.

6

Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy;b
do not desire his delicacies,

6

Don’t eat with people who are stingy;
don’t desire their delicacies.

7

for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.c
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.

7

They are always thinking about how much it costs.a
“Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it.

8

You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,
and waste your pleasant words.

8

You will throw up what little you’ve eaten,
and your compliments will be wasted.

9

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
for he will despise the good sense of your words.

9

Don’t waste your breath on fools,
for they will despise the wisest advice.

10

Do not move an ancient landmark
or enter the fields of the fatherless,

10

Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers;
don’t take the land of defenseless orphans.

11

for their Redeemer is strong;
he will plead their cause against you.

11

For their Redeemerb is strong;
he himself will bring their charges against you.

12

Apply your heart to instruction
and your ear to words of knowledge.

12

Commit yourself to instruction;
listen carefully to words of knowledge.

13

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

13

Don’t fail to discipline your children.
The rod of punishment won’t kill them.

14

If you strike him with the rod,
you will save his soul from Sheol.

14

Physical discipline
may well save them from death.c

15

My son, if your heart is wise,
my heart too will be glad.

15

My child,d if your heart is wise,
my own heart will rejoice!

16

My inmost beingd will exult
when your lips speak what is right.

16

Everything in me will celebrate
when you speak what is right.

17

Let not your heart envy sinners,
but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.

17

Don’t envy sinners,
but always continue to fear the LORD.

18

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

18

You will be rewarded for this;
your hope will not be disappointed.

19

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

19

My child, listen and be wise:
Keep your heart on the right course.

20

Be not among drunkardse
or among gluttonous eaters of meat,

20

Do not carouse with drunkards
or feast with gluttons,

21

for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
and slumber will clothe them with rags.

21

for they are on their way to poverty,
and too much sleep clothes them in rags.

22

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

22

Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and don’t despise your mother when she is old.

23

Buy truth, and do not sell it;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

23

Get the truth and never sell it;
also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.

24

The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.

24

The father of godly children has cause for joy.
What a pleasure to have children who are wise.e

25

Let your father and mother be glad;
let her who bore you rejoice.

25

So give your father and mother joy!
May she who gave you birth be happy.

26

My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observef my ways.

26

O my son, give me your heart.
May your eyes take delight in following my ways.

27

For a prostitute is a deep pit;
an adulteressg is a narrow well.

27

A prostitute is a dangerous trap;
a promiscuous woman is as dangerous as falling into a narrow well.

28

She lies in wait like a robber
and increases the traitors among mankind.

28

She hides and waits like a robber,
eager to make more men unfaithful.

29

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

29

Who has anguish? Who has sorrow?
Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining?
Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

30

Those who tarry long over wine;
those who go to try mixed wine.

30

It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns,
trying out new drinks.

31

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

31

Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is,
how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.

32

In the end it bites like a serpent
and stings like an adder.

32

For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake;
it stings like a viper.

33

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

33

You will see hallucinations,
and you will say crazy things.

34

You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
like one who lies on the top of a mast.h

34

You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea,
clinging to a swaying mast.

35

“They struck me,” you will say,i “but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I must have another drink.”

35

And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it.
I didn’t even know it when they beat me up.
When will I wake up
so I can look for another drink?”

Parallel

English Standard Version

New Living Translation

Proverbs 23

Proverbs 23