📖 Proverbs — Chapter 23 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
Proverbs 23:1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
Proverbs 23:2 RAnd put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Proverbs 23:3 RBe not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
Proverbs 23:4 RLabour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
Proverbs 23:5 Wilt Rthou Tset thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
Proverbs 23:6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither Rdesire thou his dainty meats:
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: REat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Proverbs 23:8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Proverbs 23:9 RSpeak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Proverbs 23:10 RRemove not the old Tlandmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
Proverbs 23:11 RFor their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
Proverbs 23:12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Proverbs 23:13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Proverbs 23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
Proverbs 23:15 RMy son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, Teven mine.
Proverbs 23:16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when Rthy lips speak right things.
Proverbs 23:17 Let Rnot thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
Proverbs 23:18 For Rsurely there is an Tend; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Proverbs 23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, Rand guide thine heart in the way.
Proverbs 23:20 Be Rnot among winebibbers; among riotous eaters Tof flesh:
Proverbs 23:21 For Rthe drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
Proverbs 23:22 RHearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Proverbs 23:23 RBuy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Proverbs 23:24 The Rfather of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
Proverbs 23:25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, Rand she that bare thee shall rejoice.
Proverbs 23:26 My son, Rgive me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
Proverbs 23:27 RFor a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
Proverbs 23:28 She also lieth in wait RTas for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
Proverbs 23:29 RWho hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Proverbs 23:30 They that Rtarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Proverbs 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
Proverbs 23:32 At the last it Rbiteth like a serpent, and stingeth like Tan adder.
Proverbs 23:33 Thine Reyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
Proverbs 23:34 Yea, Rthou shalt be as he that lieth down in Tthe midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
Proverbs 23:35 They have Rstricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and TI felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
Proverbs 23:1–12 — Resist enticing gain and learn
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Meals with rulers, uncertain riches, and stingy hospitality require discernment. Attention is redirected toward instruction and knowledge rather than impressive opportunity.
Key Truth: Apply your heart to instruction.
Check What You Remember
1. Complete the KJV wording: “When thou ____ to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before …” (Proverbs 23:1)
Find it in Proverbs 23:1 (KJV).
2. Complete the KJV wording: “Apply thine ____ unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 23:12)
Find it in Proverbs 23:12 (KJV).
3. Complete the KJV wording: “Apply thine heart unto ____ , and thine ears to the words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 23:12)
Find it in Proverbs 23:12 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Proverbs 23:13–24 — Correction, hope, and family joy
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Parental training and truthful wisdom aim toward a hopeful future and family gladness. Correction must serve wisdom and care, never cruelty.
Key Truth: Choose teachability and enduring hope.
Check What You Remember
1. Complete the KJV wording: “Withhold not ____ from the child: for if thou beatest him with the …” (Proverbs 23:13)
Find it in Proverbs 23:13 (KJV).
2. Complete the KJV wording: “Hear thou, my ____ , and be wise, and guide thine heart in the …” (Proverbs 23:19)
Find it in Proverbs 23:19 (KJV).
3. Complete the KJV wording: “Hearken unto thy ____ that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she …” (Proverbs 23:22)
Find it in Proverbs 23:22 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Proverbs 23:25–35 — Recognize destructive intoxication
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The warnings turn to sexual temptation and wine’s attractive appearance followed by wounds, confusion, and renewed craving. Immediate appeal conceals lasting harm.
Key Truth: Consider consequences beyond the invitation.
Check What You Remember
1. Complete the KJV wording: “Thy ____ and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare …” (Proverbs 23:25)
Find it in Proverbs 23:25 (KJV).
2. Complete the KJV wording: “They that ____ long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed …” (Proverbs 23:30)
Find it in Proverbs 23:30 (KJV).
3. Complete the KJV wording: “They have ____ me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they …” (Proverbs 23:35)
Find it in Proverbs 23:35 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
Ephesians 5:18 — Believers are instructed against drunkenness.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
What attractive habit deserves an honest look at its consequences?
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. What do riches taking wings teach?
2. How does the grudging host’s invitation differ from his heart?
3. Why are the fatherless fields protected in this warning?
4. What replaces envy of sinners?
5. How does the final question deepen the wine warning?
Notes
Write what you want to remember, questions to explore, or Scriptures to look up later. Your saved notes are private to your account.
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