Proverbs 23

Proverbs · Chapter 23

Proverbs 23:1

1When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:2And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.3Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.4Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.6Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:7For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.8The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.9Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.10Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:11For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.12Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.13Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.14Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.15My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.16Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.17Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.18For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.19Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.20Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:21For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.22Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.23Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.24The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.25Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.26My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.27For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.28She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.29Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?30They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.31Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.32At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.33Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.34Yea, 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.35They 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
1When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is set before you,When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider diligently him that is before thee;

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
ifכִּֽי־ki-H3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

you will sit downתֵ֭שֵׁבTE-shevH3427
to dwell

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) 1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sit, sit down 1a2) to be set 1a3) to remain, stay 1a4) to dwell, have one's abode 1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited 1c) (Piel) to set, place 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to sit 1d2) to cause to abide, set 1d3) to cause to dwell 1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited 1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to) 1e) (Hophal) 1e1) to be inhabited 1e2) to make to dwell Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

to eatלִלְח֣וֹםlil-CHOMH3898B
to feed on

לָחַם (la.cham) (Qal) to eat, use as food

withאֶת־'et-H0854
with

אֵת (et) 1) with, near, together with 1a) with, together with 1b) with (of relationship) 1c) near (of place) 1d) with (poss.) 1e) from...with, from (with other prep)

a rulerמוֹשֵׁ֑לmo-SHELH4910
to rule

מָשַׁל (ma.shal) 1) to rule, have dominion, reign 1a) (Qal) to rule, have dominion 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to rule 1b2) to exercise dominion

carefully considerבִּ֥יןbinH0995
to understand

בִּין (bin) 1) to discern, understand, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to perceive, discern 1a2) to understand, know (with the mind) 1a3) to observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider 1a4) to have discernment, insight, understanding 1b) (Niphal) to be discerning, intelligent, discreet, have understanding 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to understand 1c2) to cause to understand, give understanding, teach 1d) (Hithpolel) to show oneself discerning or attentive, consider diligently 1e) (Polel) to teach, instruct 2) (TWOT) prudent, regard

you will considerתָּ֝בִ֗יןta-VINH0995
to understand

בִּין (bin) 1) to discern, understand, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to perceive, discern 1a2) to understand, know (with the mind) 1a3) to observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider 1a4) to have discernment, insight, understanding 1b) (Niphal) to be discerning, intelligent, discreet, have understanding 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to understand 1c2) to cause to understand, give understanding, teach 1d) (Hithpolel) to show oneself discerning or attentive, consider diligently 1e) (Polel) to teach, instruct 2) (TWOT) prudent, regard

[that] whichאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

[is] to before youלְפָנֶֽיךָ׃le-fa-NEI-khaH6440G
face: before

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.