King James Version KJV
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
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When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you;
2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
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and put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
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Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.
4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
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Do not toil to acquire wealth; be wise enough to desist
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
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When your eyes light upon it, it is gone; for suddenly it takes to itself wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
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Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies;
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
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for he is like one who is inwardly reckoning. "Eat and drink!" he says to you; but his heart is not with you.
8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
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You will vomit up the morsels which you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
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Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
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Do not remove an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless;
11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
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for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you.
12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
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Apply your mind to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
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Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
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If you beat him with the rod you will save his life from Sheol
15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
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My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad.
16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
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My soul will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
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Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.
18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
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Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
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Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way
20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
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Be not among winebibbers, or among gluttonous eaters of meat;
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
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for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags
22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
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Hearken to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
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Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
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The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who begets a wise son will be glad in him.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
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Let your father and mother be glad, let her who bore you rejoice.
26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
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My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
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For a harlot is a deep pit; an adventuress is a narrow well.
28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
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She lies in wait like a robber and increases the faithless among men.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
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Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
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Those who tarry long over wine, those who go to try mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
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Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
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At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
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Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind utter perverse things.
34 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.
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You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.
35 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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"They struck me," you will say, "but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink."
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.