Proverbs 23:1–8

When you sit down to eat with a ruler,

observe carefully what is before you,

and put a knife to your throat

if you are given to appetite.

Do not desire his delicacies,

for they are deceptive food.

Do not toil to acquire wealth;

be discerning enough to desist.

When your eyes light on it, it is gone,

for suddenly it sprouts wings,

flying like an eagle toward heaven.

Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy;

do not desire his delicacies,

for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.

“Eat and drink!” he says to you,

but his heart is not with you.

You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,

and waste your pleasant words.

When you sit to dine with a ruler,

note well what is before you,

and put a knife to your throat

if you are given to gluttony.

Do not crave his delicacies,

for that food is deceptive.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich;

do not trust your own cleverness.

Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,

for they will surely sprout wings

and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,

do not crave his delicacies;

for he is the kind of person

who is always thinking about the cost.

“Eat and drink,” he says to you,

but his heart is not with you.

You will vomit up the little you have eaten

and will have wasted your compliments.

When you sit down to dine with a ruler,

consider carefully what is before you,

and put a knife to your throat

if you have a big appetite;

don’t desire his choice food,

for that food is deceptive.

Don’t wear yourself out to get rich;

because you know better, stop!

As soon as your eyes fly to it, it disappears,

for it makes wings for itself

and flies like an eagle to the sky.

Don’t eat a stingy person’s bread,

and don’t desire his choice food,

for it’s like someone calculating inwardly.

“Eat and drink,” he says to you,

but his heart is not with you.

You will vomit the little you’ve eaten

and waste your pleasant words.

While dining with a ruler,

pay attention to what is put before you.

If you are a big eater,

put a knife to your throat;

don’t desire all the delicacies,

for he might be trying to trick you.

Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.

Be wise enough to know when to quit.

In the blink of an eye wealth disappears,

for it will sprout wings

and fly away like an eagle.

Don’t eat with people who are stingy;

don’t desire their delicacies.

They are always thinking about how much it costs.

“Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it.

You will throw up what little you’ve eaten,

and your compliments will be wasted.

When you sit to eat with a ruler,

you shall surely observe what is before you,

and you shall put a knife to your throat

if you have a big appetite.

Do not desire his delicacies,

for it is food of deception.

Do not tire in order to become rich;

out of your understanding, may you desist.

Your eyes will alight on it, but there is nothing to it,

for suddenly it will make for itself wings

like an eagle and it will be exhausted in the heavens.

Do not eat the bread of the stingy,

and do not desire his delicacies.

For, like hair in his throat, so it is.

“Eat and drink!” he will say to you,

but his heart will not be with you.

Your morsel you have eaten, you will vomit it up,

and you will waste your pleasant words.

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler,

Consider diligently what is before thee:

And put a knife to thy throat,

If thou be a man given to appetite.

Be not desirous of his dainties:

For they are deceitful meat.

Labour not to be rich:

Cease from thine own wisdom.

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not?

For riches certainly make themselves wings;

They fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye,

Neither desire thou his dainty meats:

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:

Eat and drink, saith 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.