Proverbs 23:29–35

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?

Who has strife? Who has complaining?

Who has wounds without cause?

Who has redness of eyes?

Those who tarry long over wine;

those who go to try mixed wine.

Do not look at wine when it is red,

when it sparkles in the cup

and goes down smoothly.

In the end it bites like a serpent

and stings like an adder.

Your eyes will see strange things,

and your heart utter perverse things.

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

like one who lies on the top of a mast.

“They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt;

they beat me, but I did not feel it.

When shall I awake?

I must have another drink.”

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?

Who has strife? Who has complaints?

Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

Those who linger over wine,

who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.

Do not gaze at wine when it is red,

when it sparkles in the cup,

when it goes down smoothly!

In the end it bites like a snake

and poisons like a viper.

Your eyes will see strange sights,

and your mind will imagine confusing things.

You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,

lying on top of the rigging.

“They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!

They beat me, but I don’t feel it!

When will I wake up

so I can find another drink?”

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?

Who has conflicts? Who has complaints?

Who has wounds for no reason?

Who has red eyes?

Those who linger over wine;

those who go looking for mixed wine.

Don’t gaze at wine because it is red,

because it gleams in the cup

and goes down smoothly.

In the end it bites like a snake

and stings like a viper.

Your eyes will see strange things,

and you will say absurd things.

You’ll be like someone sleeping out at sea

or lying down on the top of a ship’s mast.

“They struck me, but I feel no pain!

They beat me, but I didn’t know it!

When will I wake up?

I’ll look for another drink.”

Who has anguish? Who has sorrow?

Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining?

Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns,

trying out new drinks.

Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is,

how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.

For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake;

it stings like a viper.

You will see hallucinations,

and you will say crazy things.

You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea,

clinging to a swaying mast.

And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it.

I didn’t even know it when they beat me up.

When will I wake up

so I can look for another drink?”

To whom is woe? To whom is sorrow? To whom are quarrels? To whom is complaint?

To whom are wounds without cause? To whom is redness of the eyes?

To those who linger over wine,

to those who come to try mixed wine.

Do not look at wine when it is red,

when it sparkles on the cup,

going down smoothly.

In the end, it will bite like a serpent,

and it will sting like an adder.

Your eyes will see strange things,

and your heart will speak perverse things.

And you will be like him who lies down in the heart of the sea,

and like him who lies down on top of a mast.

“They struck me; I was not hurt. They beat me; I did not know it.

When I will awake, I will continue; I will seek it again.”

Who hath woe? who hath sorrow?

Who hath contentions? who hath babbling?

Who hath wounds without cause?

Who hath redness of eyes?

They that tarry long at the wine;

They that go to seek mixed wine.

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red,

When it giveth his colour in the cup,

When it moveth itself aright.

At the last it biteth like a serpent,

And stingeth like an adder.

Thine eyes shall behold strange women,

And thine heart shall utter perverse things.

Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea,

Or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick;

They have beaten me, and I felt it not:

When shall I awake?

I will seek it yet again.