Proverbs 23

English Tyndale 1537

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1When thou sittest at the table to eat with a lord, order thyself mannerly with the things that are set before thee.

2Measure thine appetite:

3and if thou wilt rule thy own self, be not over greedy of his meat, for meat beguileth and deceiveth.

4Take not over great travail and labour to be rich, beware of such a purpose.

5Why wilt thou set thine eye upon the thing, which suddenly vanisheth away? For riches make themselves wings, and take their flight like an Aegle into the air.

6Eat not thou with the envious, and desire not his meat,

7for he hath a marvelous heart. He sayeth unto thee: eat and drink, whereas his heart is not with thee.

8Yea the morsels that thou hast eaten shalt thou perbreak and loose(lese) those sweet words.

9Tell nothing into the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

10Remove not the old landmark, and come not within the field of the fatherless.

11For he that delivereth them is mighty, even he shall defend their cause against thee.

12Apply thine heart unto learning, and thine ear to the words of knowledge.

13Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die thereof.

14Thou smitest him with the rod, but thou deliverest his soul from hell.

15My son, if thy heart receive wisdom, my heart also shall rejoice:

16yea my reins shall be very glad, if thy lips speak the thing that is right.

17Let not thine heart be jealous to follow sinners, but keep thee still in the fear of the LORD all the day long:

18For the end is not yet come and thy patient abiding shall not be in vain.

19My son, give ear and be wise, so shall thine heart prosper in the way.

20Keep no company with winebibbers and riotous eaters of flesh:

21for such as be drunkards and riotous shall come to poverty, and he that is given to much sleep, shall go with a ragged coat.

22Give ear unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

23Labour for to get the truth: sell not away wisdom, nurture and understanding,

24for a righteous father is marvelous glad of a wise son, and delighteth in him,

25so shall thy father be glad, and thy mother that bare thee, shall rejoice.

26My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes have pleasure in my ways.

27For an whore is a deep grave, and an harlot is a narrow pit.

28She lurketh like a thief, and those that be not aware(awarre) she bringeth unto her.

29Where is woe? where is sorrow? where is strife? where is brawling? where are wounds without cause? where be reed eyes?

30Even among those that be ever at the wine, and seek out where the best is.

31Look not thou upon the wine, how red it is, and what a color it giveth in the glass.

32It goeth down softly, but at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth as an adder.

33So shall thine eyes look unto strange women, and thine heart shall muse upon froward things.

34Yea thou shalt be as though thou slept in the middest of the sea, or on the top of the mast.

35They wounded me (shalt thou say) but it hath not hurt me, they smote me, but I felt it not. When I am well awakened, I will go to the drink again.

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