Proverbs 6
1 My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,
My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
2 You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
3 Do this, my son, and make yourself free, because you have come into the power of your neighbour; go without waiting, and make a strong request to your neighbour.
Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her.
Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.
Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
12 A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;
A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a perverse mouth.
13 Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;
He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14 His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.
Perverseness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
15 For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16 Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:
These six things doth Yhwh hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause;
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers.
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:
My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
21 Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.
Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
22 In your walking, it will be your guide; when you are sleeping, it will keep watch over you; when you are awake, it will have talk with you.
When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life.
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.
To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26 For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life.
For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
27 May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?
Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So it is with him who goes in to his neighbour's wife; he who has anything to do with her will not go free from punishment.
So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30 Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house.
But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul.
But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.
A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy.
For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.
He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
