Proverbs 23:15–35

15 My son, if your heart is awise,

My own heart also will be glad;

16 And my 1inmost being will rejoice

When your lips speak awhat is right.

17 aDo not let your heart envy sinners,

But live in the 1bfear of the Lord 2always.

18 Surely there is a 1afuture,

And your bhope will not be cut off.

19 Listen, my son, and abe wise,

And bdirect your heart in the way.

20 Do not be with aheavy drinkers of wine,

Or with bgluttonous eaters of meat;

21 For the aheavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,

And bdrowsiness will clothe one with rags.

22 aListen to your father who begot you,

And bdo not despise your mother when she is old.

23 aBuy truth, and do not sell it,

Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,

And ahe who sires a wise son will be glad in him.

25 Let your afather and your mother be glad,

And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

26 aGive me your heart, my son,

And let your eyes 1bdelight in my ways.

27 For a harlot is a adeep pit

And an 1badulterous woman is a narrow well.

28 Surely she alurks as a robber,

And increases the 1faithless among men.

29 Who has awoe? Who has sorrow?

Who has contentions? Who has complaining?

Who has wounds without cause?

Who has redness of eyes?

30 Those who alinger long over wine,

Those who go to 1taste bmixed wine.

31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,

When it 1sparkles in the cup,

When it agoes down smoothly;

32 At the last it abites like a serpent

And stings like a bviper.

33 Your eyes will see strange things

And your 1mind will autter perverse things.

34 And you will be like one who lies down in the 1middle of the sea,

Or like one who lies down on the top of a 2mast.

35 “They astruck me, but I did not become 1ill;

They beat me, but I did not know it.

When shall I awake?

I will bseek 2another drink.”