Mishlei 23:6-24:14 משלי כ״ג:ו׳-כ״ד:י״ד

Do not eat the bread of him who has an evil eye, nor desire his dainties.

For as one that calculates in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, says he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

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

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

Do not remove the old landmark; and do not enter the fields of the fatherless:

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

Apply thy heart to instruction, and thy ears to the words of knowledge.

Do not withhold correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he will not die.

Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from She᾽ol.

My son, if thy heart is wise, my heart too shall rejoice:

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

Let not thy heart envy sinners: but be in the fear of the Lord all the day long.

For surely there is a future; and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

Hear, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.

Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous eaters of meat:

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

Hearken to thy father who begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

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

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he who begets a wise child shall have joy of him.

Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her who bore thee rejoice.

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

For a harlot is a deep ditch; and an alien woman is a narrow pit.

She also lies in wait like a robber, and increases the transgressors among men.

Who cries, Woe? who cries, Alas? who has quarrels? who has complaints? who has causeless injuries? who has redness of eyes?

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

Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly:

at the last it bites like a snake, and stings like a viper.

Thy eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter perverse words.

Yea, thou shalt be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, or like one who lies upon the top of a mast.

They have struck me, but I was not hurt; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them.

For their heart studies destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

Through wisdom a house is built; and by understanding it is established:

and by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

A wise man is strong; and a man of knowledge increases strength.

For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is victory.

Wisdom it too high for a fool: he does not open his mouth in the gate.

He who devises to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

The devising of folly is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small:

if thou forbear to rescue those who are drawn to death, and those who are ready to be slain;

if thou sayst, Behold, we knew it not, does not he who ponders the heart consider it? and he who keeps thy soul, does he not know it? and shall he not render to every man according to his works?

My son, eat honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

know that such is wisdom for thy soul! when hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.