[1] When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with
care to what is before you; [2] And put a knife to your throat, if you have
a strong desire for food. [3] Have no desire for his delicate food, for it
is the bread of deceit. [4] Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end
to your desire for money. [5] Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone:
for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven. [6]
Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his
delicate meat: [7] For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take
food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you. [8] The food
which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be
wasted. [9] Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no
value on the wisdom of your words. [10] Do not let the landmark of the
widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;
[11] For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against
you. [12] Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of
knowledge. [13] Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you
give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him. [14] Give him
blows with the rod, and keep his soul safe from the underworld. [15] My
son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart; [16] And
my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things. [17]
Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all
through the day; [18] For without doubt there is a future, and your hope
will not be cut off. [19] Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart
in the right way. [20] Do not be among those who give themselves to
wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat: [21] For
those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and
through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed. [22] Give ear to your
father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when
she is old. [23] Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go
for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense. [24] The father of the
upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because
of him. [25] Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you
birth have joy. [26] My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take
delight in my ways. [27] For a loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange
woman is a narrow water-hole. [28] Yes, she is waiting secretly like a
beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men. [29] Who
says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has
wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark? [30] Those who are seated late
over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine. [31] Keep your eyes
from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the
cup, when it goes smoothly down: [32] In the end, its bite is like that of
a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake. [33] Your eyes will
see strange things, and you will say twisted things. [34] Yes, you will be
like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.
[35] They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me
blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go
after it again.
