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 become surety for thy friend, thou shalt deliver thine hand to an enemy.

2 if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,

For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own 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.

[My] son, do what I command thee, and deliver thyself; for on thy friend's account thou art come into the power of evil [men]: faint not, but stir up even thy friend for whom thou art become surety.

4 Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.

Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber with thine eyelids;

5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

that thou mayest deliver thyself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.

6 Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.

Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.

7 Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler,

For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,

8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.

he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labours kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.

9 How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?

How long wilt thou lie, O sluggard? and when wilt thou awake out of sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

Thou sleepest a little, and thou restest a little, and thou slumberest a short [time], and thou foldest thine arms over thy breast a little.

11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

Then poverty comes upon thee as an evil traveller, and want as a swift courier: but if thou be diligent, thine harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.

12 A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,

A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.

13 winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers.

And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.

14 With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.

[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.

15 Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.

Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.

16 There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:

For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.

17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,

and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].

19 a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.

An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.

20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

[My] son, keep the laws of thy father, and reject not the ordinances of thy mother:

21 Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.

but bind them upon thy soul continually, and hang them as a chain 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.

Whensoever thou walkest, lead this along and let it be with thee; that it may talk with thee when thou wakest.

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 of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:

24 to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

to keep thee continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.

25 Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.

Let not the desire of beauty overcome thee, neither be thou caught by thine eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.

26 For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.

27 Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?

Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?

28 Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?

or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?

29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.

So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.

30 Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.

It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:

31 Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.

but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.

32 He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

But the adulterer through want of sense procures destruction to his soul.

33 Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.

He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.

34 For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.

For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: 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 forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.