God Speaks
While dining with a ruler,
pay attention to what is put before you.
2 If you are a big eater,
put a knife to your throat;
3 don’t desire all the delicacies,
for he might be trying to trick you.
4 Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.
Be wise enough to know when to quit.
5 In the blink of an eye wealth disappears,
for it will sprout wings
and fly away like an eagle.
6 Don’t eat with people who are stingy;
don’t desire their delicacies.
7 They are always thinking about how much it costs.
“Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it.
8 You will throw up what little you’ve eaten,
and your compliments will be wasted.
9 Don’t waste your breath on fools,
for they will despise the wisest advice.
10 Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers;
don’t take the land of defenseless orphans.
11 For their Redeemer is strong;
he himself will bring their charges against you.
12 Commit yourself to instruction;
listen carefully to words of knowledge.
13 Don’t fail to discipline your children.
The rod of punishment won’t kill them.
14 Physical discipline
may well save them from death.
15 My child, if your heart is wise,
my own heart will rejoice!
16 Everything in me will celebrate
when you speak what is right.
17 Don’t envy sinners,
but always continue to fear the Lord.
18 You will be rewarded for this;
your hope will not be disappointed.
19 My child, listen and be wise:
Keep your heart on the right course.
20 Do not carouse with drunkards
or feast with gluttons,
21 for they are on their way to poverty,
and too much sleep clothes them in rags.
22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
23 Get the truth and never sell it;
also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.
24 The father of godly children has cause for joy.
What a pleasure to have children who are wise.
25 So give your father and mother joy!
May she who gave you birth be happy.
26 O my son, give me your heart.
May your eyes take delight in following my ways.
27 A prostitute is a dangerous trap;
a promiscuous woman is as dangerous as falling into a narrow well.
28 She hides and waits like a robber,
eager to make more men unfaithful.
29 Who has anguish? Who has sorrow?
Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining?
Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns,
trying out new drinks.
31 Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is,
how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.
32 For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake;
it stings like a viper.
33 You will see hallucinations,
and you will say crazy things.
34 You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea,
clinging to a swaying mast.
35 And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it.
I didn’t even know it when they beat me up.
When will I wake up
so I can look for another drink?”
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
[Author’s note: While preparing to reflect on Proverbs 23, the author discovered that Proverbs 22:17-24:22 are sayings grouped in clusters called Thirty Sayings of the Wise. Sayings one through nineteen are presented here. Sayings twenty through thirty along with More Sayings of the Wise will be presented in a future session of this blog that covers Proverbs 24.]
Reflection: For purpose of study in comparison and contrast, this passage is presented here with the good or godly statements in italic.
Proverbs 22
Saying One
17. Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction.
18. For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart and always ready on your lips.
19. I am teaching you today–yes, you–so you will trust in the LORD.
20. I have written thirty sayings for you, filled with advice and knowledge.
21. In this way, you may know the truth and take an accurate report to those who sent you.
Saying Two
22. Don’t rob the poor just because you can, or exploit the needy in court.
23. For the LORD is their defender. he will ruin anyone who ruins them.
Saying Three
24. Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people,
25. or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.
Saying Four
26. Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for someone else.
27. If you can’t pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you.
Saying Five
28. Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers set up by previous generations.
Saying Six
29. Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people.
Proverbs 23
Saying Seven
1. While dining with a ruler, pay attention to what is put before you.
2. If you are a big eater, put a knife to your throat;
3. don’t desire all the delicacies, for he might be trying to trick you.
Saying Eight
4. Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit.
5. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.
Saying Nine
6. Don’t eat with people who are stingy; don’t desire their delicacies.
7. They are always thinking about how much it costs. “Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it.
8. You will throw up what little you have eaten, and your compliments will be wasted.
Saying Ten
9. Don’t waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice.
Saying Eleven
10. Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers; don’t take the land of defenseless orphans.
11. For their Redeemer is strong; He Himself will bring their charges against you.
Saying Twelve
12. Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge.
Saying Thirteen
13. Don’t fail to discipline your children. The rod of punishment won’t kill them.
14. Physical discipline may well save them from death.
Saying Fourteen
15. My child, if your heart is wise, my own heart will rejoice!
16. Everything in me will celebrate when you speak what is right.
Saying Fifteen
17. Don’t envy sinners, but always continue to fear the LORD.
18. You will be rewarded for this; your hope will not be disappointed.
Saying Sixteen
19. My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course.
20. Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons,
21. for they are on their way to poverty, and too much sleep clothes them in rags.
Saying Seventeen
22. Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
23. Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.
24. The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise.
25. So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy.
Saying Eighteen
26. O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.
27. A prostitute is a dangerous trap; a promiscuous woman is as dangerous as falling into a narrow well.
28. She hides and waits like a robber, eager to make more men unfaithful.
Saying Nineteen
29. Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30. It is the one who spends long hours in taverns, trying out new drinks.
31. Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.
32. For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper.
33. You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things.
34. You will stagger like a sailor toss at sea, clinging to the mast.
35. And You will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it. I didn’t know when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?”
Consider the following questions regarding Proverbs 23:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God is like the parent who is greatly pleased when their child is wise and does what is right.
2. People (without the wisdom that the Holy Spirit gives) are prone to be foolish–lazy, drunken, promiscuous gluttons who wind up in poverty or death.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Proverbs 23?
Dear gracious and Holy LORD God, please help me not to let eating, drinking, laziness, my work, my pleasures, or my own opinions become idols in my life, pulling me away from You. Instead, may I seek to please You by listening to and obeying Your Holy Spirit. Thank You that the surest ways of knowing what pleases You are to read and study Your words in the Bible, to converse with You in prayer, and to interact with other believers who are also seeking to please You. This is the path of wisdom and will bring You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Proverbs 23? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will cultivate properly fearing the LORD in my own life and encourage others to do the same.
- I will pray for specific youngsters I know to be wise in their day to day lives.
- I will celebrate with a family when a child makes a wise decision and acts on it.
- I will try to steer a young person away from becoming addicted to alcohol using Proverbs 23:29-35 as part of my counsel.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.