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 you set aside your money as a guarantee for your neighbor's loan, if you gave your promise for a loan of someone you do not know,
2 if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
then you have laid a trap for yourself by your promise and you have been caught by the words of your 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.
When you are caught by your words, my son, do this and save yourself, since you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor; go and humble yourself and make your case before your neighbor.
4 Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber.
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
Save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
Look at the ant, you lazy person, consider her ways, and be wise.
7 Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler,
It has no commander, officer, or ruler,
8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.
yet it prepares its food in the summer and during the harvest it stores up what it will eat.
9 How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
How long will you sleep, you lazy person? When will you rise from your 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 rest”—
11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
and your poverty will come like a robber and your needs like an armed soldier.
12 A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,
A worthless person—a wicked man— lives by the crookedness of his speech,
13 winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers.
winking his eyes, making signals with his feet and pointing with his fingers.
14 With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.
He plots evil with deceit in his heart; he always stirs up discord.
15 Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.
Therefore his disaster will overtake him in an instant; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.
16 There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
There are six things that Yahweh hates, seven that are disgusting to him.
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
The eyes of a proud person, a tongue that lies, hands that shed the blood of innocent people,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,
a heart that invents wicked schemes, feet that quickly run to do evil,
19 a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.
a witness who breathes out lies and one who sows discord among brothers.
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
My son, obey the command of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
21 Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.
Always bind them on your heart; tie them about your 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 you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you wake up, they will teach you.
23 For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,
For the commands are a lamp, and the teaching is a light; the corrections that come by instruction are the way of life.
24 to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
It keeps you from the immoral woman, from the smooth words of an immoral woman.
25 Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
Do not lust in your heart after her beauty and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes.
26 For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
Sleeping with a prostitute can cost the price of a loaf of bread, but the wife of another may cost you your very life.
27 Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?
Can a man carry a fire against his chest without burning his clothes?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?
Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?
29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
So is the man who sleeps with his neighbor's wife; the one who sleeps with her will not go unpunished.
30 Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.
People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his need 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 caught, he will pay back seven times what he stole; he must give up everything of value in his house.
32 He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.
The one who commits adultery has no sense; the one who does it destroys himself.
33 Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.
Wounds and shame are what he deserves and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.
For jealousy makes a man furious; he will show no mercy when he takes his revenge.
35 He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish gifts.
He will accept no compensation and he cannot be bought off, though you offer him many gifts.
