Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou have become surety for thy neighbor, if thou have struck thy hands for a stranger,
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger,
2 thou are snared with the words of thy mouth, thou are taken with the words of thy mouth.
if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, since thou have come into the hand of thy neighbor. Go, humble thyself, and importune thy neighbor.
then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor.
4 Do not give sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise.
Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
7 Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler,
8 provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will thou sleep, O sluggard? When will thou arise out of thy sleep?
How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 so thy poverty shall come as a robber, and thy want as an armed man.
and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,
A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,
13 who winks with his eyes, who speaks with his feet, who makes signs with his fingers,
winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers.
14 in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who sows discord.
With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.
15 Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly. Suddenly he shall be broken, and that without remedy.
Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.
16 There are six things which Jehovah hates, yea, seven which are an abomination to him:
There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked purposes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,
19 a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.
20 My son, keep the commandment of thy father, and do not forsake the law of thy mother.
My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them continually upon thy heart. Tie them about thy neck.
Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.
22 When thou walk, it shall lead thee. When thou sleep, it shall watch over thee. And when thou awake, it shall talk with thee.
When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,
24 to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the stranger's tongue.
to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
25 Do not lust after her beauty in thy heart, nor let her take thee with her eyelids.
Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
26 For the price of a harlot is as much as a piece of bread, but the adulteress hunts for the precious life.
For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can a man walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her shall not be unpunished.
So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry.
Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.
31 Yet if he is found, he shall restore sevenfold. He shall give all the substance of his house.
Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.
32 He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who would destroy his own soul does it.
He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.
33 Wounds and dishonor he shall get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is a man's fury, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not regard any ransom, nor will he be satisfied, though thou give many gifts.
He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish gifts.
