For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior—one who manipulates].
He says to you, “Eat and drink,”
Yet his heart is not with you [but it is begrudging the cost].

The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who sires a wise child will have joy in him.

Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who gave birth to you rejoice [in your wise and godly choices].

My son, give me your heart
And let your eyes delight in my ways,

At the last it bites like a serpent
And stings like a viper.

And you will be [as unsteady] as one who lies down in the middle of the sea,
And [as vulnerable to disaster] as one who lies down on the top of a ship’s mast, saying,

For a prostitute is a deep pit,
And an immoral woman is a narrow well.

Do not look at wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the glass,
When it goes down smoothly.

When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is [set] before you;

Do not withhold discipline from the child;
If you swat him with a reed-like rod [applied with godly wisdom], he will not die.

Do not weary yourself [with the overwhelming desire] to gain wealth;
Cease from your own understanding of it.

She lurks and lies in wait like a robber [who waits for prey],
And she increases the faithless among men.

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Whose eyes are red and dim?

Buy truth, and do not sell it;
Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

Do not associate with heavy drinkers of wine,
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat,

Listen to your father, who sired you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.

Those who linger long over wine,
Those who go to taste mixed wine.

Your [drunken] eyes will see strange things
And your mind will utter perverse things [untrue things, twisted things].

When you set your eyes on wealth, it is [suddenly] gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies to the heavens.

Listen, my son, and be wise,
And direct your heart in the way [of the Lord].

Do not let your heart envy sinners [who live godless lives and have no hope of salvation],
But [continue to] live in the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the Lord day by day.

Apply your heart to discipline
And your ears to words of knowledge.

For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And the drowsiness [of overindulgence] will clothe one with rags.

For you will put a knife to your throat
If you are a man of great appetite.

Do not eat the bread of a selfish man,
Or desire his delicacies;

You shall swat him with the reed-like rod
And rescue his life from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

“They struck me, but I was not hurt!
They beat me, but I did not feel it!
When will I wake up?
I will seek more wine.”

Do not move the ancient landmark [at the boundary of the property]
And do not go into the fields of the fatherless [to take what is theirs],

Do not speak in the ears of a fool,
For he will despise the [godly] wisdom of your words.

My son, if your heart is wise,
My heart will also be glad;

For their Redeemer is strong and mighty;
He will plead their case against you.

Do not desire his delicacies,
For it is deceptive food [offered to you with questionable motives].

Surely there is a future [and a reward],
And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.

Yes, my heart will rejoice
When your lips speak right things.

The morsel which you have eaten you will vomit up,
And you will waste your compliments.