Proverbs 23 - Easy To Read Version Easy To Read Version
Proverbs 23

¹ When you sit and eat with an important man, remember who you are with.

² Never eat too much, even if you are very hungry.

³ And don’t eat too much of the fine food he serves. It might be a trick.

⁴ Don’t ruin your health trying to become rich. If you are wise, you will be patient.

⁵ Money goes very quickly, as if it grows wings and flies away like a bird.

⁶ Don’t eat with a selfish person. And stay away from the special foods he likes.

⁷ He is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost. He might say to you, “Eat and drink.” But that is not really what he wants.

⁸ And if you eat his food, then you will become sick. And you will be embarrassed.

⁹ Don’t try to teach a fool. He will make fun of your wise words.

¹⁰ Never move an old property line. And never take land that belongs to orphans. {\cf2\super [32]}

¹¹ The Lord will be against you. The Lord is powerful and he defends those orphans.

¹² Listen to your teacher and learn all you can.

¹³ Always punish a child if it needs it. It will not hurt him to spank him.

¹⁴ If you spank him, you may save his life.

¹⁵ My son, if you become wise, then I will be very happy.

¹⁶ I will be happy in my heart if I hear you say things that are right.

¹⁷ Don’t be jealous of evil people. But always try as hard as you can to respect the Lord.

¹⁸ There is always hope. And that hope will never be gone.

¹⁹ So listen, my son, and be wise. Always be careful to live the right way.

²⁰ Don’t be friends with people who drink too much wine and eat too much food.

²¹ People who drink too much and eat too much become poor. All they do is eat, drink, sleep, and soon they have nothing.

²² Listen to the things your father tells you. Without your father, you would never have been born. And respect your mother, even when she is old.

²³ Truth, wisdom, learning, and understanding are worth paying money for. And they are worth far too much to ever sell.

²⁴ The father of a good person is very happy. If a person has a wise child, then that child brings joy.

²⁵ So let your father and mother be happy with you. Let your mother have joy.

²⁶ My son, listen closely to what I am saying. Let my life be your example.

²⁷ Prostitutes and bad women are a trap. They are like a deep well that you can’t get out of.

^28-30 A bad woman waits for you like a thief. And she causes many men to become sinners.

³¹ So be careful with wine. It is pretty and red. It sparkles in the cup. And it goes down so smooth when you drink it.

³² But in the end it bites like a snake.

³³ Wine will cause you to see strange things. Your mind will be confused.

³⁴ When you lie down, you will think you are on a rough sea. You feel like you are lying on a ship.

³⁵ You will say, “They hit me but I never felt it. They beat me but I don’t remember it. Now I can’t wake up. I need another drink.”