Proverbs 23:1-23

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

²And put the knife to thy throte, if thou be a man giuen to the appetite.

³Be not desirous of his deintie meates: for it is a deceiuable meate.

⁴Trauaile not too much to be rich: but cease from thy wisdome.

⁵Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon it, which is nothing? for riches taketh her to her wings, as an eagle, and flyeth into the heauen.

⁶Eate thou not the bread of him that hath an euil eye, neither desire his deintie meates.

⁷For as though he thought it in his heart, so will hee say vnto thee, Eate and drinke: but his heart is not with thee.

⁸Thou shalt vomit thy morsels that thou hast eaten, and thou shalt lose thy sweete wordes.

⁹Speake not in the eares of a foole: for hee will despise the wisdome of thy wordes.

¹⁰Remooue not the ancient boundes, and enter not into the fieldes of the fatherlesse.

¹¹For he that redeemeth them, is mightie: he will defend their cause against thee.

¹²Apply thine heart to instruction, and thine eares to the wordes of knowledge.

¹³Withhold not correction from the childe: if thou smite him with the rodde, he shall not die.

¹⁴Thou shalt smite him with the rodde, and shalt deliuer his soule from hell.

¹⁵My sonne, if thine heart be wise, mine heart shall reioyce, and I also.

¹⁶And my reynes shall reioyce, when thy lips speake righteous things.

¹⁷Let not thine heart bee enuious against sinners: but let it bee in the feare of the Lord continually.

¹⁸For surely there is an ende, and thy hope shall not be cut off.

¹⁹O thou my sonne, heare, and bee wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

²⁰Keepe not company with drunkards, nor with gluttons.

²¹For the drunkard and the glutton shall bee poore, and the sleeper shalbe clothed with ragges.

²²Obey thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother when she is olde.

²³Bye the trueth, but sell it not: likewise wisdome, and instruction, and vnderstanding.