Proverbs 23 - Heartlight

¹When you sit down to dine with a ruler,

consider carefully what is set before you,

²and put a knife to your throat

if you possess a great appetite.

³Do not crave his delicacies,

for that food is deceptive.

⁴Do not wear yourself out to get rich;

be wise enough to restrain yourself.

⁵When you glance at wealth, it disappears,

for it makes wings for itself

and flies like an eagle to the sky.

⁶Do not eat the bread of a stingy man,

and do not crave his delicacies;

⁷for he is keeping track,

inwardly counting the cost.

“Eat and drink,” he says to you,

but his heart is not with you.

⁸You will vomit up what little you have eaten

and waste your pleasant words.

⁹Do not speak to a fool,

for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

¹⁰Do not move an ancient boundary stone

or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

¹¹for their Redeemer is strong;

He will take up their case against you.

¹²Apply your heart to instruction

and your ears to words of knowledge.

¹³Do not withhold discipline from a child;

although you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

¹⁴Strike him with a rod,

and you will deliver his soul from Sheol.

¹⁵My son, if your heart is wise,

my own heart will indeed rejoice.

¹⁶My inmost being will rejoice

when your lips speak what is right.

¹⁷Do not let your heart envy sinners,

but always continue in the fear of the LORD.

¹⁸For surely there is a future,

and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁹Listen, my son, and be wise,

and guide your heart on the right course.

²⁰Do not join those who drink too much wine

or gorge themselves on meat.

²¹For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,

and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.

²²Listen to your father who gave you life,

and do not despise your mother when she is old.

²³Invest in truth and never sell it —

in wisdom and instruction and understanding.

²⁴The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice,

and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.

²⁵May your father and mother be glad,

and may she who gave you birth rejoice!

²⁶My son, give me your heart,

and let your eyes delight in my ways.

²⁷For a prostitute is a deep pit,

and an adulteress is a narrow well.

²⁸Like a robber she lies in wait

and multiplies the faithless among men.

²⁹Who has woe? Who has sorrow?

Who has contentions? Who has complaints?

Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?

³⁰Those who linger over wine,

who go to taste mixed drinks.

³¹Do not gaze at wine while it is red,

when it sparkles in the cup

and goes down smoothly.

³²In the end it bites like a snake

and stings like a viper.

³³Your eyes will see strange things,

and your mind will utter perversities.

³⁴You will be like one sleeping on the high seas

or lying on the top of a mast:

³⁵“They struck me, but I feel no pain!

They beat me, but I did not know it!

When can I wake up

to search for another drink?”

— Proverbs 23

(BSB)

Related Resources from Heartlight

There are 22 resources related to this passage:

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"A prostitute is a dangerous trap; a promiscuous woman is as dangerous as falling into a narrow well. She hides and waits like a robber, eager to make...."

Proverbs 23:19

Devo: Daily Wisdom

"Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path."

Proverbs 23:22

Devo: Daily Wisdom

"Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old."

Proverbs 23:22

Devo: Today's Verse

"Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old."

Proverbs 23:23

Devo: Daily Wisdom

"Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding."

Proverbs 23:24

Devo: Today's Verse

"The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him."

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"Don't cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers; don't take the land of defenseless orphans. For their Redeemer is strong; he..."

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Illustration of Proverbs 23:24

Inspirational illustration of Proverbs 23:24 -- The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him.

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Illustration of Proverbs 23:22

Inspirational illustration of Proverbs 23:22 -- 22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Poof! They're Gone

Illustration of Proverbs 23:5

Cast but a glance at riches and they are gone. For they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. - Proverbs 23:5

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Have you given her the respect and appreciation she deserves? Moms are crucial to the outcome of nations because of the way they rear their child.

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Have you seen your own values slipping a little lately? The price of gasoline kicks off some creative questioning by Russ as he wrestles with the serious desensitization that has occurred in many lives.

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What good is a little bookmark? Bookmarks are those little reminders that are hard to get rid of.

Cross References for Proverbs 23

Cross References Provided by Open Bible

The Berean Standard Bible

The Berean Standard Bible (BSB) is a modern, clear, and faithful translation based on the best available Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. Ideal for reading, study, and sharing, it entered the public domain in 2023. For more information, visit berean.bible.