Proverbs Chapter 23 (NASB)

KJV ESV NIV NASB NLT

undefined When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you,

undefined And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of [great] appetite.

undefined Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food.

undefined Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration [of it].

undefined When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For [wealth] certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies [toward] the heavens.

undefined Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Or desire his delicacies;

undefined For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, 'Eat and drink!' But his heart is not with you.

undefined You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten, And waste your compliments.

undefined Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

undefined Do not move the ancient boundary Or go into the fields of the fatherless,

undefined For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you.

undefined Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.

undefined Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.

undefined You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.

undefined My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad;

undefined And my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak what is right.

undefined Do not let your heart envy sinners, But [live] in the fear of the LORD always.

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

undefined Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way.

undefined Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, [Or] with gluttonous eaters of meat;

undefined For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe [one] with rags.

undefined Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.

undefined Buy truth, and do not sell [it], [Get] wisdom and instruction and understanding.

undefined The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.

undefined Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

undefined Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways.

undefined For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well.

undefined Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men.

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

undefined Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine.

undefined Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly;

undefined At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper.

undefined Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things.

undefined And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast.

undefined 'They struck me, [but] I did not become ill; They beat me, [but] I did not know [it]. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.'

Deepen Your Study

Use AI-powered tools to understand this passage better