“When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is before you,
And put a knife to your throat
If you are a person of great appetite.
Do not desire his delicacies,
For it is deceptive food.”

“Do not weary yourself to gain wealth;
Stop dwelling on it.
When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.”

“Do not eat the bread of a selfish person
Or desire his delicacies;
For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
He says to you, ‘Eat and drink!’
But his heart is not with you.”

“You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten
And waste your pleasant words.
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words.”

“Do not move the ancient boundary
Or go into the fields of the fatherless,
For their Redeemer is strong;
He will plead their case against you.”

“Apply your heart to discipline
And your ears to words of knowledge.
Do not withhold discipline from a child;
If you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
You shall strike him with the rod
And rescue his soul from Sheol.”

“My son, if your heart is wise,
My own heart also will be glad;
And my innermost being will rejoice
When your lips speak what is right.”

“Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But live in the fear of the Lord always.
Certainly there is a future,
And your hope will not be cut off.”

“Listen, my son, and be wise,
And direct your heart in the way.
Do not be among heavy drinkers of wine
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;
For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.”

“Listen to your father who fathered you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.
Buy truth, and do not sell it,
Get wisdom, instruction, and understanding.”

“The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.”

“Give me your heart, my son,
And let your eyes delight in my ways.
For a prostitute is a deep pit,
And an adulterous woman is a narrow well.
Certainly she lurks as a robber,
And increases the treacherous among mankind.”

“Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has bloodshot eyes?”

“Those who linger long over wine;
Those who go to taste mixed wine.
Do not look at wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it goes down smoothly;”

“In the end it bites like a serpent
And stings like a viper.
Your eyes will see strange things
And your mind will say perverse things.”

“And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea,
Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast,
Saying, ‘They struck me, but I did not become ill;
They beat me, but I did not know it.
When will I awake?
I will seek another drink.’”

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Context and Meaning

Proverbs 23 is shaped like a father pleading with his child.
This chapter highlights three major areas of danger:

1. Desire — for wealth, food, influence, or company that corrupts.
2. Discipline — both receiving it and giving it.
3. Deception — especially through lust and intoxication.

It is one of the clearest portrayals of how sin entices the heart, blinds the mind, and ultimately destroys the soul.

Key Themes:

1. Self-Control at the Table: Appetite can enslave the wise (v. 1–3).
2. Wealth’s Illusion: Riches vanish like wings (v. 4–5).
3. Discernment with People: Not everyone who smiles is for you (v. 6–8).
4. God Defends the Weak: He is the Redeemer of the fatherless (v. 10–11).
5. Discipline Saves Lives: Loving correction rescues from destruction (v. 13–14).
6. Fear of the Lord Over Envy: Don’t chase sinners’ lifestyles (v. 17–18).
7. Honoring Parents: Wisdom brings generational joy (v. 22–25).
8. Lust and Sexual Sin: Adultery is a trap that ruins lives (v. 27–28).
9. The Deceitfulness of Alcohol: Drunkenness blinds, binds, and destroys (v. 29–35).

Reflection and Impact

Proverbs 23 calls us to guard our hearts from the subtle and seductive pull of sin.

• Greed deceives – “Do not weary yourself to gain wealth” (v. 4) reflects 1 Timothy 6:10: the love of money pierces with many griefs.
• God defends the vulnerable – “Their Redeemer is strong” (v. 11) echoes Psalm 68:5: Father of the fatherless.
• Discipline preserves life – (v. 13–14) parallels Hebrews 12:11: discipline yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
• Envy is poison – “Do not envy sinners” (v. 17) ties to Psalm 73.
• Sexual sin enslaves – (v. 27–28) matches Proverbs 7:27: her house is the way to Sheol.
• Alcohol deceives – “At last it bites like a serpent” (v. 32) corresponds to Ephesians 5:18: do not be drunk with wine.
• Truth is priceless – “Buy truth and do not sell it” (v. 23) reflects John 8:32: the truth shall make you free.

Application

• Guard Your Appetite: Desire must bow to self-control.
• Stop Chasing Wealth: Seek faithfulness over fortune.
• Avoid Manipulative People: Wisdom discerns motives.
• Discipline with Love: Train hearts while time remains.
• Reject Envy: Fear God, not the lifestyles of sinners.
• Honor Your Parents: Let your life bring them joy.
• Flee Sexual Sin: It is a deep pit with no bottom.
• Avoid Drunkenness: Alcohol robs clarity, dignity, and stability.
• Cling to Truth: Treasure wisdom above comfort or gain.

Closing Thought

Proverbs 23 is a father’s desperate plea:
“Give me your heart.”
It calls us to choose the path of life over the fleeting pleasures that destroy.
Wisdom is not passive — it guards desires, disciplines the heart, and flees temptation.

“Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But live in the fear of the Lord always.”