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