Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou have become surety for thy neighbor, if thou have struck thy hands for a stranger,
My son, suppose you have pledged to guarantee your neighbor's debt, or you have shaken hands in agreement with a stranger,
2 thou are snared with the words of thy mouth, thou are taken with the words of thy mouth.
then you've trapped yourself by what you promised, you've been caught by what you said.
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.
So this is what you have to do. You need to get out of it, because you've put yourself in that person's power. Go to your neighbor in all humility and ask him to release you from the commitment.
4 Do not give sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
Don't delay, saying that you'll sleep on it. Don't rest until you've done it.
5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Get out of it like a gazelle escaping from a trap, like a bird from a bird-catcher's net.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise.
Go and observe the ants, you slacker! Learn from what they do and become wise.
7 Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
They don't have a leader, an officer, or a ruler,
8 provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
yet they work hard during the summer getting their food, gathering what they need during the harvest.
9 How long will thou sleep, O sluggard? When will thou arise out of thy sleep?
So how long are you going to lie there, you slacker? When are you going to get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,
You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
11 so thy poverty shall come as a robber, and thy want as an armed man.
and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,
Rebellious and wicked people go around telling lies,
13 who winks with his eyes, who speaks with his feet, who makes signs with his fingers,
winking slyly, giving sneaky foot gestures, rudely pointing with their fingers.
14 in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who sows discord.
Their warped minds plot evil schemes; they're always causing trouble.
15 Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly. Suddenly he shall be broken, and that without remedy.
As a result, disaster falls suddenly on such people; in just a moment they're destroyed without hope of healing.
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 things that he absolutely detests:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that murder the innocent,
18 a heart that devises wicked purposes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
a mind that plots evil schemes, feet that hurriedly run to do wrong,
19 a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
a false witness that speaks lies, those who caused arguments in families.
20 My son, keep the commandment of thy father, and do not forsake the law of thy mother.
My son, pay attention to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching.
21 Bind them continually upon thy heart. Tie them about thy neck.
Keep them always in mind. 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.
They will lead you as you walk along; they will watch over you as you sleep; when you wake up they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
For the instruction is a lamp, and the teaching is a light. The correction that comes from discipline is the way to life.
24 to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the stranger's tongue.
It will protect you from an evil woman and the seductive words of a prostitute.
25 Do not lust after her beauty in thy heart, nor let her take thee with her eyelids.
Don't let your mind lust after her beauty, or let her hypnotize you with her fluttering eyelashes.
26 For the price of a harlot is as much as a piece of bread, but the adulteress hunts for the precious life.
You can buy a prostitute for the price of a loaf of bread, but adultery with another man's wife can cost you your life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
Can you put fire in your lap and not burn your clothes?
28 Or can a man walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
Can you walk on hot coals and not scorch your feet?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her shall not be unpunished.
It's the same for anyone who sleeps with another man's wife. No one who touches her will remain unpunished.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry.
People don't condemn a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he's hungry.
31 Yet if he is found, he shall restore sevenfold. He shall give all the substance of his house.
But if he's caught, he has to pay back seven times what he stole, even if it means handing over everything he has in his house.
32 He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who would destroy his own soul does it.
Any man who commits adultery with a woman has no sense; he who does so destroys himself.
33 Wounds and dishonor he shall get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
He will be wounded and dishonored. His disgrace will never be removed.
34 For jealousy is a man's fury, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
For jealousy makes a husband furious, and he won't hold back when he takes revenge.
35 He will not regard any ransom, nor will he be satisfied, though thou give many gifts.
He refuses any compensation, and won't be paid off, however big the amount.
