Proverbs 23:6–9

PROVERBS CHAPTER 23.

V. 6. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, of a jealous and covetous man, neither desire thou his dainty meats, which are held out before his guest as a sort of bait, not with open kindliness, but with a hidden purpose, for the envious person’s selfishness will not permit him to dispense true hospitality; v. 7. for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he, his true nature does not appear on the outside, but his calculating meanness counts every bite his guest takes. Eat and drink, saith he to thee, with apparent politeness and cordial hospitality; but his heart is not with thee, he is not sincere, it is all sham and deceit, planned with selfish calculation.

V. 8. The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, namely, afterwards, upon finding out about the host’s deception, and lose thy sweet words, those spoken in acknowledgment of the supposed hospitality. V.9. Speak not in the ears of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.