11 Heb “an evil eye.” This is the opposite of the “good eye” which meant the generous man. The “evil eye” refers to a person who is out to get everything for himself (cf. , , “selfish”). He is ill-mannered and inhospitable (e.g., Prov 28:22). He is up to no good—even though he may appear to be a host.
12 The line is difficult; it appears to mean that the miser is the kind of person who has calculated the cost of everything in his mind as he offers the food. The has: “Eating and drinking with him is as if one should swallow a hair; do not introduce him to your company nor eat bread with him.” The Hebrew verb “to calculate” (שָׁעַר, sha’ar) with a change of vocalization and of sibilant would yield “hair” (שֵׂעָר, se’ar)—“like a hair in the throat [נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh], so is he.” This would picture an irritating experience. The Instruction of Amenemope uses “blocking the throat” in a similar saying (chapt. 11, 14:7 [ 423]). The suggested change is plausible and is followed by ; but the rare verb “to calculate” in the would be easier to defend on the basis of the canons of textual criticism because it is the more difficult reading.
13 The phrase “the cost” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied by the verb; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
14 Heb “soul.”
15 Eating and drinking with a selfish miser would be irritating and disgusting. The line is hyperbolic; the whole experience turns the stomach.
16 Or “your compliments” (so , ); cf. “your flattery.” This is the eighth saying; it claims that it would be a mistake to accept hospitality from a stingy person. He is always thinking about the cost, his heart is not in it, and any attempt at pleasant conversation will be lost.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

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.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

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.

NLTNew Living Translation

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.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

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.

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

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