Consider Diligently what is Before You
1When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
4Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
6Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
7For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
12Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
14Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
15My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
18For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
20Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
21For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
22Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
25Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
26My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
29Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34Yea, 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.
35They 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.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
True Riches
(1 Timothy 6:17–19; James 5:1–6)
Saying 7
1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;
2 put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.
3 Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
Saying 8
4 Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
5 Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
Saying 9
6 Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies:
7 for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
8 The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.
Saying 10
9 Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Saying 11
10 Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless:
11 for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
Saying 12
12 Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
Saying 13
13 Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
14 Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol.
Saying 14
15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine:
16 yes, my heart will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right.
Saying 15
17 Don’t let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear Yahweh all the day long.
18 Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.
Saying 16
19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!
20 Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat:
21 for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Saying 17
22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!
Saying 18
26 My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.
Saying 19
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
32 In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
34 Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst 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 can find another.”
True Riches
(1 Timothy 6:17–19; James 5:1–6)
Saying 7
1 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
consider carefully what is set before you, a
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you possess a great appetite.
3 Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive.
Saying 8
4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
be wise enough to restrain yourself.
5 When you glance at wealth, it disappears,
for it makes wings for itself
and flies like an eagle to the sky.
Saying 9
6 Do not eat the bread of a stingy man, b
and do not crave his delicacies;
7 for he is keeping track,
inwardly counting the cost. c
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up what little you have eaten
and waste your pleasant words.
Saying 10
9 Do not speak to a fool,
for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Saying 11
10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Redeemer is strong;
He will take up their case against you.
Saying 12
12 Apply your heart to instruction
and your ears to words of knowledge.
Saying 13
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
although you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14 Strike him with a rod,
and you will deliver his soul from Sheol.
Saying 14
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
my own heart will indeed rejoice.
16 My inmost being d will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.
Saying 15
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always continue in the fear of the LORD.
18 For surely there is a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
Saying 16
19 Listen, my son, and be wise,
and guide your heart on the right course.
20 Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat.
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.
Saying 17
22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Invest in truth and never sell it—
in wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24 The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice,
and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.
25 May your father and mother be glad,
and may she who gave you birth rejoice!
Saying 18
26 My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes delight in my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit,
and an adulteress e is a narrow well.
28 Like a robber she lies in wait
and multiplies the faithless among men.
Saying 19
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaints?
Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Those who linger over wine,
who go to taste mixed drinks.
31 Do not gaze at wine while it is red,
when it sparkles 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 your mind will utter perversities.
34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas
or lying on the top of a mast:
35 “They struck me, but I feel no pain!
They beat me, but I did not know it!
When can I wake up
to search for another drink?”
Footnotes:
1 a Or who is before you
6 b Literally of him whose eye is evil
7 c Or for as he calculates in his soul, so is he
16 d Hebrew My kidneys
27 e Or a foreign woman or a wayward wife
Consider Diligently what is Before You
1When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which is before thee,
2And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man of appetite.
3Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it is lying food.
4Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.
5For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
6Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,
7For as he hath thought in his soul, so is he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart is not with thee.
8Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that are sweet.
9In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.
10Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,
11For their Redeemer is strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.
12Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.
13Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.
14Thou with a rod smitest him, And his soul from Sheol thou deliverest.
15My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,
16And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.
17Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But -- in the fear of Jehovah all the day.
18For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.
19Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,
20Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
21For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.
22Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.
23Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
24The father of the righteous rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.
25Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.
26Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways.
27For a harlot is a deep ditch, And a strange woman is a strait pit.
28She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.
29Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?
30Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
31See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.
32Its latter end -- as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.
33Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.
34And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
35'They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake -- I seek it yet again!'
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