1 When thou sittest to eate with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee.
2 And put a knife to thy throate, if thou be a man giuen to appetite.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitfull meate.
4 Labour not to bee rich: cease from thine owne wisedome.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes vpon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselues wings, they fly away as an Eagle toward heauen.
6 Eate thou not the bread of him that hath an euill eye, neither desire thou his dainty meates.
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eate, and drinke, sayth he to thee, but his heart is not with thee.
8 The morsell which thou hast eaten, shalt thou vomite vp, and loose thy sweete words.
9 Speake not in the eares of a foole: for hee will despise the wisedome of thy words.
10 Remoue not the old landmarke; and enter not into the fields of the fatherlesse.
11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
12 Apply thine heart vnto instruction, and thine eares to the words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
14 Thou shalt beate him with the rod, and shalt deliuer his soule from hell.
15 My sonne, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall reioyce, euen mine.
16 Yea my reines shall reioyce, when thy lippes speake right things.
17 Let not thine heart enuy sinners, but be thou in the feare of the Lord all the day long.
18 For surely there is an end, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Heare thou, my sonne, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
20 Be not amongst wine-bibbers; amongst riotous eaters of flesh.
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to pouerty; and drousinesse shall cloath a man with ragges.
22 Hearken vnto thy father that begate thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Buy the trueth, and sell it not; also wisedome and instruction and vnderstanding.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly reioyce: and he that begetteth a wise child, shall haue ioy of him.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall reioyce.
26 My sonne, giue me thine heart, and let thine eyes obserue my wayes.
27 For an whore is a deepe ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 She also lyeth in wait as for a pray, and increaseth the transgressours among men.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath rednesse of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine, they that goe to seeke mixt wine.
31 Looke not thou vpon the wine when it is red, when it giueth his colour in the cup, when it moueth it selfe aright.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall vtter peruerse things.
34 Yea thou shalt be as he that lyeth downe in the midst of the sea, or as he that lyeth vpon the top of a mast.
35 They haue striken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sicke: they haue beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seeke it yet againe.
Chap 24
1 Be not thou enuious against euill men, neither desire to be with them.
2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lippes talke of mischiefe.
3 Through wisedome is an house builded, and by vnderstanding it is established.
4 And by knowledge shall the chambers bee filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is strong, yea a man of knowledge encreaseth strength.
6 For by wise counsell thou shalt make thy warre: and in multitude of counsellers there is safetie.
7 Wisedome is too high for a foole: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.
8 He that deuiseth to doe euill, shall be called a mischieuous person.
9 The thought of foolishnesse is sinne: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
10 If thou faint in the day of aduersitie, thy strength is small:
11 If thou forbeare to deliuer them that are drawen vnto death, and those that are ready to be slaine:
12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not: doth not he that pondereth the heart, consider it? and he that keepeth thy soule, doth not he know it? and shall not hee render to euery man according to his workes?
13 My sonne, eate thou honie, because it is good, and the honie combe, which is sweete to thy taste.
14 So shall the knowledge of wisedome be vnto thy soule: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.
15 Lay not waite, (O wicked man) against the dwelling of the righteous: spoile not his resting place.
16 For a iust man falleth seuen times, and riseth vp againe: but the wicked shall fall into mischiefe.
17 Reioyce not when thine enemie falleth: and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and hee turne away his wrath from him.
19 Fret not thy selfe because of euill men; neither be thou enuious at the wicked.
20 For there shall be no reward to the euill man: the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
21 My sonne, feare thou the Lord, and the king: and medle not with them that are giuen to change.
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruine of them both?
23 These things also belong to the wise: It is not good to haue respect of persons in iudgement.
24 He that sayth vnto the wicked, Thou art righteous, him shall the people curse; nations shall abhorre him:
25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come vpon them.
26 Euery man shall kisse his lippes that giueth a right answere.
27 Prepare thy worke without, and make it fit for thy selfe in the field; and afterwards build thine house.
28 Be not a witnesse against thy neighbour without cause: and deceiue not with thy lippes.
29 Say not, I will doe so to him as he hath done to mee: I will render to the man according to his worke.
30 I went by the field of the slouthfull, and by the vineyard of the man voyd of vnderstanding:
31 And loe, it was all growen ouer with thornes, and nettles had couered the face thereof, and the stone wall therof was broken downe:
32 Then I saw, and considered it well, I looked vpon it, and receiued instruction.
33 Yet a little sleepe, a little slumber, a little folding of the handes to sleepe:
34 So shall thy pouertie come, as one that traueileth, and thy want, as an armed man.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).