¹When you sit to eat with a ruler ,

consider diligently what is before you ;

²put a knife to your throat

if you are a man given to appetite .

³Don’t be desirous of his dainties ,

since they are deceitful food .

⁴Don’t weary yourself to be rich .

In your wisdom, show restraint.

⁵Why do you set your eyes on that which is not ?

For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky .

⁶Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye ,

and don’t crave his delicacies ,

⁷for as he thinks about the cost, so he is .

“Eat and drink !” he says to you ,

but his heart is not with you .

⁸You will vomit up the morsel which you have eaten

and waste your pleasant words .

⁹Don’t speak in the ears of a fool ,

for he will despise the wisdom of your words .

¹⁰Don’t move the ancient boundary stone.

Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless ,

¹¹for their Defender is strong .

He will plead their case against you .

¹²Apply your heart to instruction ,

and your ears to the words of knowledge .

¹³Don’t withhold correction from a child .

If you punish him with the rod , he will not die .

¹⁴Punish him with the rod ,

and save his soul from Sheol .

¹⁵My son , if your heart is wise ,

then my heart will be glad , even mine .

¹⁶Yes, my heart will rejoice

when your lips speak what is right .

¹⁷Don’t let your heart envy sinners ,

but rather fear the LORD all day long .

¹⁸Indeed surely there is a future hope ,

and your hope will not be cut off .

¹⁹Listen , my son , and be wise ,

and keep your heart on the right path !

²⁰Don’t be amongst ones drinking too much wine ,

or those who gorge themselves on meat ;

²¹for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor ;

and drowsiness clothes them in rags .

²²Listen to your father who gave you life,

and don’t despise your mother when she is old .

²³Buy the truth, and don’t sell it .

Get wisdom , discipline , and understanding.

²⁴The father of the righteous has great joy .

Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him .

²⁵Let your father and your mother be glad !

Let her who bore you rejoice !

²⁶My son , give me your heart ;

and let your eyes keep in my ways .

²⁷For a prostitute is a deep pit ;

and a wayward wife is a narrow well.

²⁸Yes, she lies in wait like a robber ,

and increases the unfaithful amongst men.

²⁹Who has woe?

Who has sorrow?

Who has strife ?

Who has complaints?

Who has needless bruises ?

Who has bloodshot eyes ?

³⁰Those who stay long at the wine ;

those who go to seek out mixed wine .

³¹Don’t look at 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 poisons like a viper .

³³Your eyes will see strange things ,

and your mind will imagine confusing things .

³⁴Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea ,

or as he who lies on top of the rigging:

³⁵“They hit me , and I was not hurt!

They beat me , and I don’t feel it !

When will I wake up? I can do it again .

I will look for more .”