Proverbs 23:1-9

¹When you sit down for a meal with a ruler, look carefully at what is placed before you,

²and cut down if you have a big appetite.

³Don't be greedy for his fancy food, for it's offered with deceptive motives.

⁴Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich—be wise enough not to bother!

⁵It disappears in the blink of an eye, suddenly growing wings and flying off into the sky like an eagle.

⁶Don't accept meal invitations from miserly people; don't be greedy for their fancy food,

⁷for what they're thinking inside is what they really are. They say, “Come on, eat and drink!”—but in their minds they don't really care about you.

⁸You'll vomit up the little pieces you've eaten, and your kind words of appreciation will be wasted.

⁹Don't talk to stupid people because they'll ridicule your wise words.