23:1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
consider carefully 1 what 2 is before you,
1 tn The construction uses the imperfect tense of instruction with the infinitive absolute to emphasize the careful discernment required on such occasions. Cf. NIV “note well”; NLT “pay attention.”
2 tn Or “who,” referring to the ruler (so ASV, NAB, TEV).