Proverbs 23 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible
World English Bible
Proverbs 23 (WEBP)
[1] When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;
[2] put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.
[3] Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
[4] Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
[5] Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
[6] Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies,
[7] for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
[8] You will vomit up the morsel which you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.
[9] Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
[10] Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
[11] for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
[12] Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
[13] Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
[14] Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol.°
[15] My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine.
[16] Yes, my heart will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
[17] Don’t let your heart envy sinners, but rather fear Yahweh all day long.
[18] Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.
[19] Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!
[20] Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat;
[21] for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
[22] Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
[23] Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
[24] The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
[25] Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!
[26] My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
[27] For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
[28] Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.
[29] Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
[30] Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
[31] Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
[32] In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
[33] Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
[34] Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
[35] “They hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I don’t feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I will look for more.”
Proverbs 23:14 Sheol is the place of the dead.
Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.
King James w/Strong’s #s
Proverbs 23 (KJVS)
[1] When thou sittest H3427 (8799) to eat H3898 (8800) with a ruler H4910 (8802), consider H995 (8799) diligently H995 (8800) what [is] before H6440 thee:
[2] And put H7760 (8804) a knife H7915 to thy throat H3930, if thou [be] a man given H1167 to appetite H5315.
[3] Be not desirous H183 (8691) of his dainties H4303: for they [are] deceitful H3577 meat H3899.
[4] Labour H3021 (8799) not to be rich H6238 (8687): cease H2308 (8798) from thine own wisdom H998.
[5] Wilt thou set H5774 (8686) (8675) H5774 (8799) thine eyes H5869 upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly H6213 (8800) make H6213 (8799) themselves wings H3671; they fly away H5774 (8799) (8675) H5774 (8687) as an eagle H5404 toward heaven H8064.
[6] Eat H3898 (8799) thou not the bread H3899 of [him that hath] an evil H7451 eye H5869, neither desire H183 (8691) thou his dainty meats H4303:
[7] For as he thinketh H8176 (8804) in his heart H5315, so [is] he: Eat H398 (8798) and drink H8354 (8798), saith H559 (8799) he to thee; but his heart H3820 [is] not with thee.
[8] The morsel H6595 [which] thou hast eaten H398 (8804) shalt thou vomit up H6958 (8686), and lose H7843 (8765) thy sweet H5273 words H1697.
[9] Speak H1696 (8762) not in the ears H241 of a fool H3684: for he will despise H936 (8799) the wisdom H7922 of thy words H4405.
[10] Remove H5253 (8686) not the old H5769 landmark H1366; and enter H935 (8799) not into the fields H7704 of the fatherless H3490:
[11] For their redeemer H1350 (8802) [is] mighty H2389; he shall plead H7378 (8799) their cause H7379 with thee.
[12] Apply H935 (8685) thine heart H3820 unto instruction H4148, and thine ears H241 to the words H561 of knowledge H1847.
[13] Withhold H4513 (8799) not correction H4148 from the child H5288: for [if] thou beatest H5221 (8686) him with the rod H7626, he shall not die H4191 (8799).
[14] Thou shalt beat H5221 (8686) him with the rod H7626, and shalt deliver H5337 (8686) his soul H5315 from hell H7585.
[15] My son H1121, if thine heart H3820 be wise H2449 (8804), my heart H3820 shall rejoice H8055 (8799), even mine H589.
[16] Yea, my reins H3629 shall rejoice H5937 (8799), when thy lips H8193 speak H1696 (8763) right things H4339.
[17] Let not thine heart H3820 envy H7065 (8762) sinners H2400: but [be thou] in the fear H3374 of the LORD H3068 all the day H3117 long.
[18] For surely there is H3426 an end H319; and thine expectation H8615 shall not be cut off H3772 (8735).
[19] Hear H8085 (8798) thou, my son H1121, and be wise H2449 (8798), and guide H833 (8761) thine heart H3820 in the way H1870.
[20] Be not among winebibbers H3196 H5433 (8802); among riotous eaters H2151 (8802) of flesh H1320:
[21] For the drunkard H5433 (8802) and the glutton H2151 (8802) shall come to poverty H3423 (8735): and drowsiness H5124 shall clothe H3847 (8686) [a man] with rags H7168.
[22] Hearken H8085 (8798) unto thy father H1 that begat H3205 (8804) thee, and despise H936 (8799) not thy mother H517 when she is old H2204 (8804).
[23] Buy H7069 (8798) the truth H571, and sell H4376 (8799) [it] not; [also] wisdom H2451, and instruction H4148, and understanding H998.
[24] The father H1 of the righteous H6662 shall greatly H1524 rejoice H1523 (8799): and he that begetteth H3205 (8802) a wise H2450 [child] shall have joy H8055 (8799) of him.
[25] Thy father H1 and thy mother H517 shall be glad H8055 (8799), and she that bare H3205 (8802) thee shall rejoice H1523 (8799).
[26] My son H1121, give H5414 (8798) me thine heart H3820, and let thine eyes H5869 observe H7521 (8799) H5341 (8799) my ways H1870.
[27] For a whore H2181 (8802) [is] a deep H6013 ditch H7745; and a strange woman H5237 [is] a narrow H6862 pit H875.
[28] She also lieth in wait H693 (8799) as [for] a prey H2863, and increaseth H3254 (8686) the transgressors H898 (8802) among men H120.
[29] Who hath woe H188? who hath sorrow H17? who hath contentions H4079 (8675) H4066? who hath babbling H7879? who hath wounds H6482 without cause H2600? who hath redness H2448 of eyes H5869?
[30] They that tarry long H309 (8764) at the wine H3196; they that go H935 (8802) to seek H2713 (8800) mixed wine H4469.
[31] Look H7200 (8799) not thou upon the wine H3196 when it is red H119 (8691), when it giveth H5414 (8799) his colour H5869 in the cup H3563 (8675) H3599, [when] it moveth H1980 (8691) itself aright H4339.
[32] At the last H319 it biteth H5391 (8799) like a serpent H5175, and stingeth H6567 (8686) like an adder H6848.
[33] Thine eyes H5869 shall behold H7200 (8799) strange women H2114 (8801), and thine heart H3820 shall utter H1696 (8762) perverse things H8419.
[34] Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down H7901 (8802) in the midst H3820 of the sea H3220, or as he that lieth H7901 (8802) upon the top H7218 of a mast H2260.
[35] They have stricken H5221 (8689) me, [shalt thou say, and] I was not sick H2470 (8804); they have beaten H1986 (8804) me, [and] I felt H3045 (8804) [it] not: when shall I awake H6974 (8686)? I will seek H1245 (8762) it yet H3254 (8686) again.
Young’s Literal Translation
Proverbs 23 (YLT)
[1] When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which is before thee,
[2] And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man of appetite.
[3] Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it is lying food.
[4] Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.
[5] For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
[6] Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,
[7] For as he hath thought in his soul, so is he, ‘Eat and drink,’ saith he to thee, And his heart is not with thee.
[8] Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that are sweet.
[9] In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.
[10] Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,
[11] For their Redeemer is strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.
[12] Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.
[13] Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.
[14] Thou with a rod smitest him, And his soul from Sheol thou deliverest.
[15] My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,
[16] And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.
[17] Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But-in the fear of Jehovah all the day.
[18] For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.
[19] Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,
[20] Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
[21] For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.
[22] Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.
[23] Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
[24] The father of the righteous rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.
[25] Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.
[26] Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways.
[27] For a harlot is a deep ditch, And a strange woman is a strait pit.
[28] She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.
[29] Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?
[30] Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
[31] See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.
[32] Its latter end-as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.
[33] Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.
[34] And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
[35] ‘They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake-I seek it yet again!’