Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is set before you,

1When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you,

2and put a knife to your throat if you possess a great appetite.

2And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite.

3Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.

3Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food.

4Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.

4Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.

5When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.

5When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.

6Do not eat the bread of a stingy man, and do not crave his delicacies;

6Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Or desire his delicacies;

7for he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

7For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, "Eat and drink!" But his heart is not with you.

8You will vomit up what little you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.

8You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten, And waste your compliments.

9Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

9Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

10Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

10Do not move the ancient boundary Or go into the fields of the fatherless,

11for their Redeemer is strong; He will take up their case against you.

11For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you.

12Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.

12Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.

13Do not withhold discipline from a child; although you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

13Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.

14Strike him with a rod, and you will deliver his soul from Sheol.

14You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.

15My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice.

15My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad;

16My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.

16And my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak what is right.

17Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD.

17Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always.

18For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

18Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off.

19Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right course.

19Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way.

20Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat.

20Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;

21For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.

21For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

22Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

22Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.

23Invest in truth and never sell it—in wisdom and instruction and understanding.

23Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.

24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.

25May your father and mother be glad, and may she who gave you birth rejoice!

25Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

26My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.

26Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways.

27For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well.

27For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well.

28Like a robber she lies in wait and multiplies the faithless among men.

28Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men.

29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?

29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?

30Those who linger over wine, who go to taste mixed drinks.

30Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine.

31Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.

31Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly;

32In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper.

32At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper.

33Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will utter perversities.

33Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things.

34You will be like one sleeping on the high seas or lying on the top of a mast:

34And 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.

35“They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I did not know it! When can I wake up to search for another drink?”

35"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."

The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org