16 He that oppresseth the poor to enrich himself, And he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. 17 Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, And let thy heart attend to my knowledge. 18 For they are pleasant when thou shalt keep them within thee; They shall be fitted together upon thy lips. 19 That thy confidence may be in Jehovah, I have addressed thee this day, even thee. 20 Have I not written to thee already In [words of] counsel and knowledge, 21 That thou mayest know the certainty of the words of truth; That thou mayest answer in truth those who send unto thee? [or, send thee.] 22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: Oppress not the humble in the gate [of justice]: 23 For Jehovah will plead their cause, And will spoil those who spoil them. 24 Associate not with a passionate man; With a furious man have no acquaintance: 25 Lest thou learn his ways, And bring thy soul into a snare. 26 Be not among those who strike hands for a pledge, Among those who are sureties for debt. 27 If thou hast nothing to pay, Why should he take thy bed from under thee? 28 Remove not thy ancient landmark, Which thy fathers fixed. 29 Seest thou a man diligent in business? Before kings he shall stand; He shall not stand before mean men. CHAPTER XXIII. 1 WHEN thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider diligently what is before thee: 2 And put a knife to thy throat, If thy appetite be keen, [or, If thou be a man of keen appetite.] 3 Desire not his dainties: For they are deceitful food. 4 Labour not to be rich : Cease from thy own understanding. 5 Shall thine eyes be dazzled with it-and it is not? It will soon make to itself wings; And fly as an eagle towards the heavens. 6 Eat not with him that hath an evil eye, And desire not his dainties: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: 'Eat and drink,' he will say to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 8 The morsel thou hast eaten thou shalt bring up again, And thou shalt spoil thy pleasant words. 9 Speak not in the ear of a fool: For he will despise the wisdom of thy speech. 10 Remove not the ancient landmark; And invade not the fields of the orphans: 11 For their patron is mighty; He will plead their cause with thee. 12 Apply to instruction thy heart, And to the words of wisdom thine ears. 13 Withhold not correction from a child : For thou shalt smite him with the rod, and he shall not die. * See Parkhurst. 14 Thou shalt smite him with the rod; 15 My son, if thy heart be wise, 16 And my reins shall rejoice, 17 Let not thy heart envy sinners: But in the fear of Jehovah continue all the day long. 18 For there is a future recompence; And thy hope shall not be cut off. 19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And let thy heart be upright in the way. 20 Be not with those who drink wine to intoxication; Among gluttonous eaters of flesh : 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall be impoverished: And sloth shall be covered with rags. 22 Hearken to thy father who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is grown old. 23 Buy truth, and sell it not; Wisdom, instruction, and understanding. 24 The father of a righteous man shall greatly rejoice: And he that begetteth a wise man shall have joy in him. 25 Thy father and thy mother shall rejoice; And she that bare thee shall exult. 26 Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes take pleasure* in my ways. 27 For a whorish woman is a deep ditch; And a foreign woman is a narrow pit. 28 She lieth in wait as the harpago,t And she increaseth transgressors among men. 29 Who hath woe-who hath lamentation Who hath contentions-who hath melancholy Who hath wounds without cause-who hath redness of eyes? 30 They who tarry long at the wine; They who go to seek mixed wine. 31 Gaze not on the wine when it is sparkling, When it sheweth in the cup its colour, When it floweth agreeably. 32 Afterwards like a serpent it will bite, Like a basilisk it will strike. * Reinecc. + Bochart. |