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Proverbs 23

Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009 (HCSB)

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

² and put a knife to your throat if you have a big [2] appetite;

³ don’t desire his choice food, ⓐ for that food is deceptive.

⁴ Don’t wear yourself out to get rich; ⓑ stop giving your attention to it.

⁵ As soon as your eyes fly to it, it disappears, ⓒ for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.

⁶ Don’t eat a stingy person’s bread, [3] ⓓ and don’t desire his choice food, ⓔ

⁷ for it’s like someone calculating inwardly. [4] ⓕ “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. ⓖ

⁸ You will vomit the little you’ve eaten and waste your pleasant words.

⁹ Don’t speak to [5] a fool, for he will despise the insight of your words. ⓗ

¹⁰ Don’t move an ancient boundary marker, ⓘ and don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

¹¹ for their Redeemer is strong, ⓙ and He will take up their case against you. ⓚ

¹² Apply yourself to discipline and listen to words of knowledge.

¹³ Don’t withhold discipline from a youth; if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. ⓛ

¹⁴ Strike him with a rod, and you will rescue his life from Sheol. ⓜ

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

¹⁶ My innermost being will cheer when your lips say what is right. ⓞ

¹⁷ Don’t let your heart envy sinners; ⓟ instead, always fear the LORD. ⓠ

¹⁸ For then you will have a future, and your hope will never fade. ⓡ

¹⁹ Listen, my son, and be wise; keep your mind on the right course.

²⁰ Don’t associate with those who drink too much wine ⓢ or with those who gorge themselves on meat. ⓣ

²¹ For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor, and grogginess will clothe them in rags. ⓤ

²² Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when [6] she is old. ⓥ

²³ Buy — and do not sell — truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding. ⓦ

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

²⁵ Let your father and mother have joy, ⓨ and let her who gave birth to you rejoice.

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

²⁷ For a prostitute is a deep pit, ⓩ and a stranger is a narrow well;

²⁸ indeed, she sets an ambush like a robber ⓐ and increases those among men who are unfaithful.

²⁹ Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has conflicts? Who has complaints? Who has wounds for no reason? ⓑ Who has red eyes?

³¹ Don’t gaze at wine because it is red, ⓓ when it gleams in the cup and goes down smoothly. ⓔ

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

³³ Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say absurd things. [7] ⓕ

³⁴ You’ll be like someone sleeping out at sea or lying down on the top of a ship’s mast.

³⁵ “They struck me, but [8] I feel no pain! They beat me, but I didn’t know it! ⓖ When will I wake up? I’ll look for another drink.” ⓗ

#	HCSB
1	When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what [1] is before you,
2	and put a knife to your throat if you have a big [2] appetite;
3	don’t desire his choice food, ⓐ for that food is deceptive.
4	Don’t wear yourself out to get rich; ⓑ stop giving your attention to it.
5	As soon as your eyes fly to it, it disappears, ⓒ for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.
6	Don’t eat a stingy person’s bread, [3] ⓓ and don’t desire his choice food, ⓔ
7	for it’s like someone calculating inwardly. [4] ⓕ “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. ⓖ
8	You will vomit the little you’ve eaten and waste your pleasant words.
9	Don’t speak to [5] a fool, for he will despise the insight of your words. ⓗ
10	Don’t move an ancient boundary marker, ⓘ and don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11	for their Redeemer is strong, ⓙ and He will take up their case against you. ⓚ
12	Apply yourself to discipline and listen to words of knowledge.
13	Don’t withhold discipline from a youth; if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. ⓛ
14	Strike him with a rod, and you will rescue his life from Sheol. ⓜ
15	My son, if your heart is wise, my heart will indeed rejoice. ⓝ
16	My innermost being will cheer when your lips say what is right. ⓞ
17	Don’t let your heart envy sinners; ⓟ instead, always fear the LORD. ⓠ
18	For then you will have a future, and your hope will never fade. ⓡ
19	Listen, my son, and be wise; keep your mind on the right course.
20	Don’t associate with those who drink too much wine ⓢ or with those who gorge themselves on meat. ⓣ
21	For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor, and grogginess will clothe them in rags. ⓤ
22	Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when [6] she is old. ⓥ
23	Buy — and do not sell — truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding. ⓦ
24	The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly, and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him. ⓧ
25	Let your father and mother have joy, ⓨ and let her who gave birth to you rejoice.
26	My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
27	For a prostitute is a deep pit, ⓩ and a stranger is a narrow well;
28	indeed, she sets an ambush like a robber ⓐ and increases those among men who are unfaithful.
29	Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has conflicts? Who has complaints? Who has wounds for no reason? ⓑ Who has red eyes?
30	Those who linger over wine, those who go looking for mixed wine. ⓒ
31	Don’t gaze at wine because it is red, ⓓ when it gleams in the cup and goes down smoothly. ⓔ
32	In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper.
33	Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say absurd things. [7] ⓕ
34	You’ll be like someone sleeping out at sea or lying down on the top of a ship’s mast.
35	“They struck me, but [8] I feel no pain! They beat me, but I didn’t know it! ⓖ When will I wake up? I’ll look for another drink.” ⓗ

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Proverbs 23

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