< 箴言 6 >
My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, if thou hast stricken 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 with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with 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 importune thy neighbour.
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 roe 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:
Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
[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 robber, and thy want as an armed man.
A worthless person, a man of iniquity; he walketh with a froward mouth;
He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he maketh signs with his fingers;
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 be six things which the LORD hateth; yea, seven which are an abomination unto him:
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief;
A false witness that uttereth 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 law of thy mother:
Bind them continually upon thine 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 sleepest, 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 law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the stranger’s 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 thine heart; neither let her take 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 whorish woman [a man is brought] to a piece of bread: and the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
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 nieghbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished.
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 shall restore sevenfold; he shall 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 is void of 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.