1 When thou sittest to eate with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee, 2 And put the knife to thy throte, if thou be a man giuen to the appetite. 3 Be not desirous of his deintie meates: for it is a deceiuable meate. 4 Trauaile not too much to be rich: but cease from thy wisdome. 5 Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon it, which is nothing? for riches taketh her to her wings, as an eagle, and flyeth into the heauen. 6 Eate thou not the bread of him that hath an euil eye, neither desire his deintie meates. 7 For as though he thought it in his heart, so will hee say vnto thee, Eate and drinke: but his heart is not with thee. 8 Thou shalt vomit thy morsels that thou hast eaten, and thou shalt lose thy sweete wordes. 9 Speake not in the eares of a foole: for hee will despise the wisdome of thy wordes. 10 Remooue not the ancient boundes, and enter not into the fieldes of the fatherlesse. 11 For he that redeemeth them, is mightie: he will defend their cause against thee. 12 Apply thine heart to instruction, and thine eares to the wordes of knowledge. 13 Withhold not correction from the childe: if thou smite him with the rodde, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt smite him with the rodde, and shalt deliuer his soule from hell. 15 My sonne, if thine heart be wise, mine heart shall reioyce, and I also. 16 And my reynes shall reioyce, when thy lips speake righteous things. 17 Let not thine heart bee enuious against sinners: but let it bee in the feare of the Lord continually. 18 For surely there is an ende, and thy hope shall not be cut off. 19 O thou my sonne, heare, and bee wise, and guide thine heart in the way. 20 Keepe not company with drunkards, nor with gluttons. 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall bee poore, and the sleeper shalbe clothed with ragges. 22 Obey thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother when she is olde. 23 Bye the trueth, but sell it not: likewise wisdome, and instruction, and vnderstanding. 24 The father of the righteous shall greatly reioyce, and hee that begetteth a wise childe, shall haue ioy of him. 25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall reioyce. 26 My sonne, giue mee thine heart, and let thine eyes delite in my wayes. 27 For a whore is as a deepe ditche, and a strange woman is as a narrowe pitte. 28 Also she lyeth in wait as for a praye, and she increaseth the transgressers among men. 29 To whome is woe? to whome is sorowe? to whom is strife? to whom is murmuring? to whom are woundes without cause? and to whome is the rednesse of the eyes? 30 Euen to them that tarie long at the wine, to them that goe, and seeke mixt wine. 31 Looke not thou vpon the wine, when it is red, and when it sheweth his colour in the cup, or goeth downe pleasantly. 32 In the ende thereof it will bite like a serpent, and hurt like a cockatrise. 33 Thine eyes shall looke vpon strange women, and thine heart shall speake lewde things. 34 And thou shalt bee as one that sleepeth in the middes of the sea, and as hee that sleepeth in the toppe of the maste. 35 They haue stricken mee, shalt thou say, but I was not sicke: they haue beaten mee, but I knew not, when I awoke: therefore will I seeke it yet still.
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1 When you sit down to eat with someone important, keep in mind who he is. 2 If you have a big appetite, restrain yourself. 3 Don't be greedy for the fine food he serves; he may be trying to trick you.
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4 Be wise enough not to wear yourself out trying to get rich. 5 Your money can be gone in a flash, as if it had grown wings and flown away like an eagle.
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6 Don't eat at the table of a stingy person or be greedy for the fine food he serves. 7 “Come on and have some more,” he says, but he doesn't mean it. What he thinks is what he really is. 8 You will vomit up what you have eaten, and all your flattery will be wasted.
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9 Don't try to talk sense to a fool; he can't appreciate it.
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10 Never move an old property line or take over land owned by orphans. 11 The Lord is their powerful defender, and he will argue their case against you.
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12 Pay attention to your teacher and learn all you can.
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13 Don't hesitate to discipline children. A good spanking won't kill them. 14 As a matter of fact, it may save their lives.
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15 My child, if you become wise, I will be very happy. 16 I will be proud when I hear you speaking words of wisdom.
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17 Don't be envious of sinful people; let reverence for the Lord be the concern of your life. 18 If it is, you have a bright future.
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19 Listen, my child, be wise and give serious thought to the way you live. 20 Don't associate with people who drink too much wine or stuff themselves with food. 21 Drunkards and gluttons will be reduced to poverty. If all you do is eat and sleep, you will soon be wearing rags.
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22 Listen to your father; without him you would not exist. When your mother is old, show her your appreciation.
23 Truth, wisdom, learning, and good sense—these are worth paying for, but too valuable for you to sell.
24 A righteous person's parents have good reason to be happy. You can take pride in a wise child.
25 Let your father and mother be proud of you; give your mother that happiness.
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26 Pay close attention, son, and let my life be your example. 27 Prostitutes and immoral women are a deadly trap. 28 They wait for you like robbers and cause many men to be unfaithful.
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29-30 Show me people who drink too much, who have to try out fancy drinks, and I will show you people who are miserable and sorry for themselves, always causing trouble and always complaining. Their eyes are bloodshot, and they have bruises that could have been avoided. 31 Don't let wine tempt you, even though it is rich red, and it sparkles in the cup, and it goes down smoothly. 32 The next morning you will feel as if you had been bitten by a poisonous snake. 33 Weird sights will appear before your eyes, and you will not be able to think or speak clearly. 34 You will feel as if you were out on the ocean, seasick, swinging high up in the rigging of a tossing ship. 35 “I must have been hit,” you will say; “I must have been beaten up, but I don't remember it. Why can't I wake up? I need another drink.”