箴言 6
1 我兒，你如果為你的朋友作保，或為外人擊掌；
My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger —
2 你如果為你口中說的話所連累，為你口中的言詞所束縛，
Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth, thou art caught by the words of thy mouth —
3 那麼，我兒，你既然已陷在你友人的手中，你就該逃脫，該這樣做：火速前去，央求你的友人，
Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour; go, humble thyself, and urge thy neighbour.
4 不要合上眼睛睡覺，也不要垂下眼瞼假寐，
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 應急速解救自己，如羚羊掙脫羅網，飛鳥逃脫獵人的圈套。
Deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 懶漢，你去看看螞蟻，觀察牠的作風，便可得些智識：
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise;
7 牠沒有領袖，沒有監督，沒有君王，
Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 但在夏天卻知準備食糧，在秋收時積貯養料。
Provideth her bread in the summer, and gatherest her food in the harvest.
9 懶漢，你要睡到幾時，你幾時纔睡醒﹖「
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 再睡片刻，再假寐片刻，再抱臂躺臥片刻! 」
'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep' —
11 這樣貧窮就要如同竊賊，困乏也要如同武士，向你侵襲。
So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.
12 無賴與惡徒，行事滿口欺詐；
A base person, a man of iniquity, is he that walketh with a froward mouth;
13 他以眼傳神，以腳示意，以手指東畫西。
That winketh with his eyes, that scrapeth with his feet, that pointeth with his fingers;
14 他存心不良，常蓄意惹事生非。
Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth evil continually; he soweth discord.
15 為此，他的喪亡必突然來臨，霎時間全被毀滅，無法挽救。
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; on a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.
16 上主憎恨的事，共有六件，連他心裏最厭惡的事，共有七件：
There are six things which the LORD hateth, yea, seven which are an abomination unto Him:
17 傲慢的眼睛，撒謊的舌頭，流無i辜者血的手，
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;
18 策劃陰謀的心，疾趨行惡的腳，
A heart that deviseth wicked thoughts, feet that are swift in running to evil;
19 說謊的假見證，和在兄弟間搬弄事非的人。
A false witness that breatheth out lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20 我兒，應堅守你父親的命令，不要放棄你母親的教訓；
My son, keep the commandment of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
21 應將二者常刻在你心中，繫在你的頸項上。
Bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck.
22 她們在你行路時引領你，在你躺臥時看護你；在你醒來時與你交談。
When thou walkest, it shall lead thee, when thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 因為父命是盞燈，母教是光明，嚴格的勸告是生命的道路，
For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life;
24 使你遠避惡意的女人，離開淫婦阿諛的言詞，
To keep thee from the evil woman, from the smoothness of the alien tongue.
25 不讓你的心貪戀她的美色，不讓她的秋波迷惑你，
Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; neither let her captivate thee with her eyelids.
26 因為娼妓所求的只是一塊餅，有夫之婦卻獵取寶貴的生命。
For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a loaf of bread, but the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.
27 人豈能懷中藏火，而不燒毀自己的衣服﹖
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 人豈能在火炭上行走，而不灼傷自己的腳﹖
Or can one walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
29 與他人妻子通姦的人就是這樣：凡接近她的，必難免受罰。
So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.
30 盜賊若因饑餓行竊以果腹，人都不鄙視他；
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 但若被擒獲了，他仍須七倍償還，交出家中所有的財物。
But if he be found, he must restore sevenfold, he must give all the substance of his house.
32 與婦人通姦的人，實屬愚眛，他這樣做，卻是毀滅自己。
He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he doeth it that would destroy his own soul.
33 他必遭受可恥的打擊，並且他的恥辱，永不得拭去，
Wounds and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 因為妒火能激怒男人，使他在報復時，決不留情；
For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 任何的賠償，他都不理睬；即便你多送禮品，他也不肯罷休。
He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
