1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
Consider carefully whatisbefore you;
2 And put a knife to your throat
If youarea man given to appetite.
3 Do not desire his delicacies,
For theyaredeceptive food.
4 Do not overwork to be rich;
# Because of your own understanding, cease!
5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not?
Forrichescertainly make themselves wings;
They fly away like an eagletowardheaven.
6 Do not eat the bread ofa miser,
Nor desire his delicacies;
7 For as he thinks in his heart, soishe.
# “Eat and drink!”he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.
8 The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up,
And waste your pleasant words.
9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Do not remove the ancient landmark,
Nor enter the fields of the fatherless;
11 For their Redeemerismighty;
He will plead their cause against you.
12 Apply your heart to instruction,
And your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold correction from a child,
Forifyou beat him with a rod, he will not die.
14 You shall beat him with a rod,
And deliver his soul from hell.
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself;
16 Yes, my inmost being will rejoice
When your lips speak right things.
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
# Butbezealousfor the fear of theLordall the day;
18 For surely there is a hereafter,
And your hope will not be cut off.
19 Hear, my son, and be wise;
And guide your heart in the way.
20 Do not mix with winebibbers,
Orwith gluttonous eaters of meat;
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clotheamanwith rags.
22 Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and do not sellit,
Alsowisdom and instruction and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who begets a wisechildwill delight in him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who bore you rejoice.
26 My son, give me your heart,
And let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a harlotisa deep pit,
And a seductressisa narrow well.
28 She also lies in wait asfora victim,
And increases the unfaithful among men.
29 Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
# Whohas redness of eyes?
30 Those who linger long at the wine,
# Those who go in search ofmixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
Whenit swirls around smoothly;
32 At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things.
34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top of the mast,saying:
35 “Theyhave struck me,butI was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did not feelit.
# When shallI awake, that I may seek anotherdrink?”