New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Proverbs 23
1
When you sit down to eat with a ruler, look carefully at what's in front of you.
5
When you take even a quick look at riches, they are gone. They grow wings and fly away into the sky like an eagle.
Reference
6
Don't eat the food of anyone who won't share it. Don't long for his fancy food.
Reference
Evil
Psalm 141:4
Deuteronomy 15:9
Proverbs 28:22
Matthew 20:15
Deuteronomy 28:56
Parallel theme
Proverbs 23:3
Proverbs 22:9
7
He is the kind of person who is always thinking about how much it costs. "Eat and drink," he says to you. But he doesn't mean it.
Reference
8
You will throw up what little you have eaten. You will have wasted your words of praise.
10
Don't move old boundary stones. Don't try to take over the fields of children whose fathers have died.
Reference
17
Do not long for what sinners have. But always show great respect for the Lord.
Reference
Parallel theme
Proverbs 28:14
2 Corinthians 7:1
1 Peter 1:17
Proverbs 3:31
Ecclesiastes 5:7
Proverbs 24:1
References Lord
Acts 9:31
Proverbs 15:16
20
Don't join those who drink too much wine. Don't join those who stuff themselves with meat.
Reference
21
Those who drink or eat too much will become poor. If they sleep too much, they'll have to wear rags.
Reference
27
A prostitute is like a deep pit. A wife who commits adultery is like a narrow well.
Reference
Parallel theme
Proverbs 22:14
29
Who has trouble? Who has sorrow? Who argues? Who has problems? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has red eyes?
Reference
30
Those who spend too much time with wine. Or those who like to taste wine that is mixed with spices.
Reference
31
Don't look at wine when it is red. Don't look at it when it bubbles in the cup. And don't look at it when it goes down smoothly.
Reference
32
In the end it bites like a snake. It bites like a poisonous serpent.
33
Your eyes will see strange sights. Your mind will imagine weird things.
34
You will feel like someone sleeping on the ocean. You will think you are lying among the ropes in a boat.
Summary of Proverbs 23
roverbs 23 is a practical description of how attractive things can become dangerous when they are allowed to control a person's desires. The chapter moves through food, wealth, relationships, parenting, sexual temptation, and alcohol, but the underlying idea remains consistent: wisdom requires knowing when enough is enough.
The chapter begins with a person sitting at the table of someone powerful. The food may look impressive, but the warning is to remain controlled and aware. The issue is not simply eating. It is the ability to resist being influenced by attractive circumstances.
This principle quickly expands to wealth.
The desire to become rich can consume a person's attention. Someone may spend so much energy pursuing money that he fails to recognize how temporary wealth really is. Possessions can disappear suddenly through economic problems, bad decisions, theft, political instability, or other circumstances.
The chapter therefore describes wealth as something that can be useful but should never become the foundation of a person's identity or security.
It also warns about people whose generosity is not genuine. Someone may provide an attractive meal while privately calculating what he expects in return. Wisdom therefore requires looking beyond appearances and considering the character and motives of the person involved.
The chapter then turns toward instruction and family life.
Children need guidance.
Correction is sometimes necessary.
Parents are encouraged to teach wisdom early because the habits developed during childhood can influence the rest of a person's life. A wise child becomes a source of genuine joy to his parents, while destructive behavior can bring lasting sorrow.
The emphasis is not simply on obedience for its own sake. The goal is to develop character and wisdom that will remain with the child as he grows.
The chapter also warns against envying people who appear successful while living wrongly. Someone may seem to gain advantages through selfishness, dishonesty, or indulgence, but Proverbs encourages the reader to look beyond immediate appearances.
Righteousness has a future.
The temporary success of a foolish person should not become a reason to abandon wisdom.
Another important theme is the value of truth and understanding. These qualities are described as things worth obtaining at almost any cost. Unlike material possessions, wisdom becomes part of the person and can guide decisions throughout life.
The chapter then moves toward two particularly serious dangers: sexual immorality and excessive drinking.
Sexual temptation is described as a trap. What may initially appear attractive can eventually create deep consequences for relationships, trust, family stability, and personal integrity.
The final section gives an unusually detailed description of alcohol's destructive effects.
Do not allow temporary pleasures, wealth, desires, or relationships to control your life. Listen to instruction, guide your children wisely, protect your relationships, remain truthful, control your appetites, and look beyond immediate satisfaction to the consequences of your choices.
The chapter begins with a person sitting at the table of someone powerful. The food may look impressive, but the warning is to remain controlled and aware. The issue is not simply eating. It is the ability to resist being influenced by attractive circumstances.
This principle quickly expands to wealth.
The desire to become rich can consume a person's attention. Someone may spend so much energy pursuing money that he fails to recognize how temporary wealth really is. Possessions can disappear suddenly through economic problems, bad decisions, theft, political instability, or other circumstances.
The chapter therefore describes wealth as something that can be useful but should never become the foundation of a person's identity or security.
It also warns about people whose generosity is not genuine. Someone may provide an attractive meal while privately calculating what he expects in return. Wisdom therefore requires looking beyond appearances and considering the character and motives of the person involved.
The chapter then turns toward instruction and family life.
Children need guidance.
Correction is sometimes necessary.
Parents are encouraged to teach wisdom early because the habits developed during childhood can influence the rest of a person's life. A wise child becomes a source of genuine joy to his parents, while destructive behavior can bring lasting sorrow.
The emphasis is not simply on obedience for its own sake. The goal is to develop character and wisdom that will remain with the child as he grows.
The chapter also warns against envying people who appear successful while living wrongly. Someone may seem to gain advantages through selfishness, dishonesty, or indulgence, but Proverbs encourages the reader to look beyond immediate appearances.
Righteousness has a future.
The temporary success of a foolish person should not become a reason to abandon wisdom.
Another important theme is the value of truth and understanding. These qualities are described as things worth obtaining at almost any cost. Unlike material possessions, wisdom becomes part of the person and can guide decisions throughout life.
The chapter then moves toward two particularly serious dangers: sexual immorality and excessive drinking.
Sexual temptation is described as a trap. What may initially appear attractive can eventually create deep consequences for relationships, trust, family stability, and personal integrity.
The final section gives an unusually detailed description of alcohol's destructive effects.
Do not allow temporary pleasures, wealth, desires, or relationships to control your life. Listen to instruction, guide your children wisely, protect your relationships, remain truthful, control your appetites, and look beyond immediate satisfaction to the consequences of your choices.