“When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.
For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.” – Proverbs 23:1-22 (KJV)
1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
pay close attention to what is put in front of you,
2 and put a knife to your throat if you have a big appetite.
3 Do not crave his delicious food.
That food is deceptive.
4 Do not wear yourself out getting rich.
Have the good judgment to know when to stop.
5 Will your eyes get a glimpse of wealth before it is gone?
No, it will sprout wings for itself.
Like an eagle it will fly away into the sky.
6 Do not eat the food of a miser.
Do not crave his delicious food,
7 because he is calculating how much things cost him.
So when he says to you, “Eat and drink,”
he does not mean it.
8 You will vomit up the little bit you ate
and spoil your pleasant conversation.
9 Do not speak within earshot of a fool,
because he will despise your sensible words.
10 Do not move an ancient boundary marker,
and do not enter the fields of the fatherless,
11 because their Redeemer is strong.
He will defend their cause against you.
12 Apply your heart to discipline
and your ear to words that give knowledge.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child,
for if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14 Strike him yourself with a rod,
and you will rescue his soul from death.
15 My son, if your mind[a] is wise,
my mind will rejoice as well.
16 My heart[b] will celebrate
when your lips speak upright things.
17 Do not allow your heart to envy sinners.
Instead, always fear the Lord.
18 Indeed, there is a future,
and your hope will never be cut off.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise,
and keep your heart on the straight way.
20 Do not be among those who drink too much wine,
or those who eat too much meat,
21 because a drunk and a glutton will become poor,
and drunken stupor dresses a person in rags.
22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old. – Proverbs 23:1-22 (EHV)
Footnotes:
[a] Proverbs 23:15 Literally heart
[b] Proverbs 23:16 Literally kidneys