22  uDo not rob the poor, because he is poor,

or vcrush the afflicted at wthe gate,

23  for xthe Lord will plead their cause

and rob of life those who rob them.

24  Make no friendship with a man given to anger,

nor go with a wrathful man,

25  lest you learn his ways

and entangle yourself in a snare.

26  Be not one of those who ygive pledges,

who put up security for debts.

27  If you have nothing with which to pay,

why should zyour bed be taken from under you?

28  Do not move the ancient alandmark

that your fathers have set.

29  Do you see a man skillful in his work?

He will bstand before kings;

he will not stand before obscure men.

23 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,

observe carefully what1 is before you,

2  and put a knife to your throat

if you are given to appetite.

3  cDo not desire his delicacies,

for they are deceptive food.

4  dDo not toil to acquire wealth;

ebe discerning enough to desist.

5  When your eyes light on it, it is gone,

ffor suddenly it sprouts wings,

flying like an eagle toward heaven.

6  gDo not eat the bread of a man who is hstingy;2

ido not desire his delicacies,

7  for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.3

“Eat and drink!” he says to you,

but his jheart is not with you.

8  You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,

and waste your pleasant words.

9  Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,

for he will despise the good sense of your words.

10  kDo not move an ancient landmark

or enter the fields of the fatherless,

11  for their lRedeemer is strong;

he will mplead their cause against you.

12  Apply your heart to instruction

and your ear to words of knowledge.

13  Do not withhold ndiscipline from a child;

oif you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

14  If you strike him with the rod,

you will psave his soul from Sheol.

15  qMy son, if your heart is wise,

my heart too will be glad.

16  My rinmost being4 will exult

when your lips speak swhat is right.

17  Let not your heart tenvy sinners,

but continue in uthe fear of the Lord all the day.

18  Surely vthere is a future,

and your whope will not be cut off.

19  Hear, my son, and xbe wise,

and ydirect your heart in the way.

20  Be not among zdrunkards5

or among agluttonous eaters of meat,

21  for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,

and bslumber will clothe them with rags.

22  cListen to your father who gave you life,

dand do not despise your mother when she is old.

23  eBuy truth, and do not sell it;

buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

24  fThe father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;

he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.

25  fLet your father and mother be glad;

let gher who bore you rejoice.

26  My son, give me your heart,

and let your eyes observe6 my ways.

27  For a prostitute is ha deep pit;

ian adulteress7 is a narrow jwell.

28  kShe lies in wait like a robber

and increases the traitors among mankind.

29  lWho has woe? Who has sorrow?

Who has strife? Who has complaining?

Who has mwounds without cause?

Who has nredness of eyes?

30  Those who otarry long over wine;

those who go to try pmixed wine.

31  Do not look at wine when it is red,

when it sparkles in the cup

and goes down smoothly.

32  In the end it qbites like a serpent

and stings like an adder.

33  Your eyes will see strange things,

and your heart utter rperverse things.

34  You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,

like one who lies on the top of a mast.8

35  “They sstruck me,” you will say,9 “but I was not hurt;

they beat me, but I did not feel it.

When shall I awake?

I tmust have another drink.”

24 Be not uenvious of evil men,

nor desire to be vwith them,

2  for their hearts wdevise violence,

and their lips xtalk of trouble.

3  By ywisdom a house is built,

and by understanding it is established;

4  by knowledge the rooms are filled

with all zprecious and pleasant riches.

5  aA wise man is full of strength,

and a man of knowledge enhances his might,

6  for by bwise guidance you can wage your war,

and in cabundance of counselors there is victory.

7  Wisdom is dtoo high for a fool;

in ethe gate he does not open his mouth.

8  Whoever fplans to do evil

will be called a schemer.

9  gThe devising1 of folly is sin,

and hthe scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

10  If you ifaint in the day of adversity,

your strength is small.

11  jRescue those who are being taken away to death;

hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

12  If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”

kdoes not he who lweighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who mkeeps watch over your soul know it,

and will he not repay man naccording to his work?