1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:

<>vv. 1-3, <>ruler

2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.

<>vv. 1-3

3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

<>vv. 1-3

4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

<>Labour not to be rich, <>cease from thine own wisdom

5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:

<>vv. 6-7, <>bread

7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

<>vv. 6-7

8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

<>thy sweet words

9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

<>v. 9, <>despise

10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:

<>vv. 10-11, <>Remove not the old landmark

11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.

<>vv. 10-11, <>redeemer

12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

<>v. 12, <>Apply thine heart unto instruction, <>instruction

13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

<>Withhold not correction from the child, <>correction, <>child, <>die

14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.

<>son, <>if thine heart be wise

16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.

<>when thy lips speak right things

17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

<>vv. 17-18, <>Let not thine heart envy sinners, <>envy, <>be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long

18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

<>vv. 17-18, <>surely there is an end

19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

<>in the way

20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

<>Be not among winebibbers, <>Be not … among riotous

21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

<>v. 22, <>when she is old

23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

<>v. 23, <>the truth

24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.

<>bare

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

<>give me thine heart

27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

<>a whore, <>strange woman

28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.

<>She also lieth in wait as for a prey, <>transgressors

29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

<>vv. 29-30, <>babbling

30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

<>vv. 29-30

31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

<>perverse

34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

<>v. 35, <>sick