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Book of Proverbs, Chapter 23

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Proverbs 23 RSV - Revised Standard VersionProverbs 23 RSV - Revised Standard Version

Chapter 23 of ProverbsRevised Standard Version (RSV)



  1. ¶ When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
      observe carefully what[a] is before you;
  2. and put a knife to your throat
      if you are a man given to appetite.
  3. Do not desire his delicacies,
      for they are deceptive food.
  4. Do not toil to acquire wealth;
      be wise enough to desist.
  5. When your eyes light upon it, it is gone;
      for suddenly it takes to itself wings,
      flying like an eagle toward heaven.
  6. Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy;
      do not desire his delicacies;
  7. for he is like one who is inwardly reckoning.[b]
      “Eat and drink!” he says to you;
      but his heart is not with you.
  8. You will vomit up the morsels which you have eaten,
      and waste your pleasant words.
  9. Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
      for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
  10. Do not remove an ancient landmark
      or enter the fields of the fatherless;
  11. for their Redeemer is strong;
      he will plead their cause against you.
  12. Apply your mind to instruction
      and your ear to words of knowledge.
  13. Do not withhold discipline from a child;
      if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
  14. If you beat him with the rod
      you will save his life from Sheol.
  15. My son, if your heart is wise,
      my heart too will be glad.
  16. My soul will rejoice
      when your lips speak what is right.
  17. Let not your heart envy sinners,
      but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.
  18. Surely there is a future,
      and your hope will not be cut off.
  19. ¶ Hear, my son, and be wise,
      and direct your mind in the way.
  20. Be not among winebibbers,
      or among gluttonous eaters of meat;
  21. for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
      and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
  22. ¶ Hearken to your father who begot you,
      and do not despise your mother when she is old.
  23. Buy truth, and do not sell it;
      buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
  24. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
      he who begets a wise son will be glad in him.
  25. Let your father and mother be glad,
      let her who bore you rejoice.
  26. ¶ My son, give me your heart,
      and let your eyes observe[c] my ways.
  27. For a harlot is a deep pit;
      an adventuress is a narrow well.
  28. She lies in wait like a robber
      and increases the faithless among men.
  29. ¶ Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
      Who has strife? Who has complaining?
    Who has wounds without cause?
      Who has redness of eyes?
  30. Those who tarry long over wine,
      those who go to try mixed wine.
  31. Do not look at wine when it is red,
      when it sparkles in the cup
      and goes down smoothly.
  32. At the last it bites like a serpent,
      and stings like an adder.
  33. Your eyes will see strange things,
      and your mind utter perverse 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.[d]
  35. “They struck me,” you will say,[e] “but I was not hurt;
      they beat me, but I did not feel it.
    When shall I awake?
      I will seek another drink.”


FOOTNOTES

  1. ^ Or who
  2. ^ Heb obscure
  3. ^ Another reading is delight in
  4. ^ Heb obscure
  5. ^ Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb lacks you will say

Read Proverbs Chapter 23 in other Bible versions:

Comments

  1. Kiamia DoelKiamia Doel
    Jan 9, 2025 23:00 GMT

    The NWT adds words to the text that are not in the greek Manuscripts to fit it's own doctrinal position for example

    Compare the wording of the NWT and the NKJV at Colossians 1:15-17

    NKJV says

    15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

    NWT says

    15 He is the image of the invisible God,the firstborn OF all creation;16 because by means of him all OTHER things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible,whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All OTHER things have been created through him and for him. 17 Also, he is before all OTHER things,and by means of him all OTHER things were made to exist,

    The word “other” is not in the Greek but they add it Why? So they can decieve their followers into thinking that Christ was created by the Father and that he then created other things, that is not what the Greek says.

    1. SmeSme
      Feb 27, 2025 11:17 GMT

      Truth is from God and those that follow him. As for lies? John8:44

      Kiamia, I noticed you used a modern version of kjv to make your point about the nwt.

      Why didn’t you use the original kjv of col1:15?

      Is it because it disproves your point? It proves the opposite of what you wrote?

      Here is kjv col1:15 ¶” Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn OF every creature:“

      Now I appeal to your Christian nature to correct your mistake as God is watching each of us, and let us bless the God of Jesus his father.

      Kjv 1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ….

  2. YanekYanek
    Dec 24, 2024 22:18 GMT

    Joshua, Jehovah’s Witnesses have never denied the deity of the Messiah in his prehuman existence. While on Earth he was fully 100% human. I do not mean he was a mere human, he was not affected by Adam’s unfaithful behavior, he was sinless.

  3. David yakubuDavid yakubu
    Oct 29, 2022 08:05 GMT

    When i do read some comments and seeing that its the same people that are supposed to be called believers but are talking ill of other denominations, it hurts. Let us all remember that We should judge not

    1. jonas smithjonas smith
      Apr 23, 2023 02:57 GMT

      The bible tells us to test the spirits. Satan disguises himself as angel of light. So yes some denomination are not teaching the truth. You are responsible for judging which ones are not. You have to judge the truth at all times. this is what the bible teaches

  4. THTH
    Apr 7, 2021 00:20 GMT

    The NWT is a very good translation. Dr. Jason David BeDuhn PhD attests to that in his book Truth in Translation. drive.google.com/...5p16melHzg8/view

    1. James LernerJames Lerner
      Jul 20, 2024 09:48 GMT

      The NWT is Satanic filth to its very core.

      The JW Cult is Satanic to its very core.

      Praise Yahweh I will never be a victim of JW brainwashing. If I burn in Hell for eternity or I am ultimately annihilated so be it

      May Yahweh's curse rest on the Watchtower Society and its Satanic leadership

    2. jim mcleodjim mcleod
      Aug 22, 2021 06:16 GMT

      NWT is a false translation that takes away from the deity of Jesus !

  5. SlightlyChaoticSlightlyChaotic
    Jan 30, 2021 16:33 GMT

    Thank you for taking the time to provide this service. I like seeing the NASB on your web page in the same format as I read on paper. On other sites, the text area is smaller, and so I have to keep scrolling down to read and sometimes I lose the context. So I really appreciate the format.

    As far as the NWT, you are certainly free to do whatever you think best with your own web pages. I'd suggest that you make a note anytime you have a translation that is associated with only one denomination or church, for example:
    New World Translation (Jehovah's Witness version).

    In Jesus' parable of the wheat and the tares. the main idea seems to be that you can't easily distinguish between God's people and not-God's people on this earth, so our Lord's response is to wait until they are shown to be the kind of people they are inside. But the NWT seems like false teaching to me. So I think the warning passages from Jesus' apostles are more applicable, as in 2 Peter 3:15-16, when he talks about Paul's writings:
    "There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures."
    And we also have the positive exhortations, as in 2 Timothy 2:15:
    "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

    1. BroderickBroderick
      Jan 31, 2021 00:57 GMT

      Your suggestion regarding the denominational flagging is duly noted. But I can’t help but wonder, wouldn’t a Catholic also want “Protestant versions” marked as well?

      As for the parable, I’m pretty sure the slaves were convinced in their own minds that they could tell the tares from the wheat. After all, aren’t they the ones who identified the problem in the first place? But the master obviously thought otherwise.

      Furthermore, even at the time when Jesus himself was walking the earth, not everybody who claimed fellowship actually followed him causing John to inquire at Mark 9:39, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him . . . for he who is not against us is for us.”

  6. Joshua HarderJoshua Harder
    Dec 11, 2020 17:48 GMT

    Hello, question.. why have you included the NWT with other legitimate bible translations? Or why have you not atleast included a warning to readers? Don't you fear that someone could be influenced by the Watchtower's intentional heresies? Thank you.

    1. KevinKevin
      Jul 11, 2021 17:45 GMT

      en.m.wikipedia.org/..._Holy_Scriptures

      See the section critical review

    2. ChrisChris
      Jan 8, 2021 07:15 GMT

      Please site these intentional heresies. I am well versed in the watch tower outline and agree they are in many ways incorrect but i also bet i can point many out from EVERY established or main denomination. There is much to learn from them all as one who drinks milk?

      Judge not lest ye be judged, that is not to pass judgement on you either brother.

      I debate with scripture. I don't hold it to be true that Michael is Y'Shua HaMeshiach but I also firmly hold it to be true that our G-d and Heavenly Father are not the word encarnate and only begotten son.

      I love not seeing "lord" which i relate to baal. I feel the catholic church is a satanic establishment and I am aware a freemason started the hovies but there are evil in high places and our fight is also with principalities.

      What i'm saying is that in my darkest hours, those two were some of if not the only ones who would bring a Bible and eucharist and pray with me.

      We all fall short of the glory of G-d.

      Don't forget the NWT was recognized as the most accurate translation on Jeopardy.

      Lastly, this is different I noted than the NWT i have read and am very familiar with. Pull up the watchtower page and compare. I truly look forward to getting this one!

  7. julietjuliet
    Aug 17, 2022 09:36 GMT

    the sky is blue

  8. mercymercy
    Aug 12, 2022 21:23 GMT

    i am Mercy, the sky is blue what else do you need

    1. mercymercy
      Aug 12, 2022 21:25 GMT

      i am so sorry, it was a big mistake

  9. God is able to do all thingsGod is able to do all things
    May 17, 2021 17:59 GMT

    Jesus how much love calling yo name

  10. EmpiralEmpiral
    Jul 4, 2025 19:06 GMT

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