Proverbs 6
1 My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,
My son, If thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast struck thy hand for a stranger;
2 You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.
If thou art ensnared through the words of thy mouth, if thou art caught through 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.
[Then] do this by all means, my son, and deliver thyself, because thou art come into the power of thy friend, Go hasten to him, and urge thy friend.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;
Grant not any sleep to thy eyes, nor slumber to thy 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 roebuck 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; look on her ways, and become wise.
7 Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
She, that hath no prince, officer, or ruler,
8 She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.
Provideth in the summer her provision, gathereth in harvest-time her food.
9 How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?
How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie down? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
“A little [more] sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in lying down;”
11 Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man
But then will thy poverty come like a rover, and thy want as a man armed with a shield.
12 A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;
A Godless person is a man of injustice, who walketh with a distorted mouth.
13 Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;
He blinketh with his eyes, he scrapeth with his feet, he pointeth with his fingers;
14 His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.
Perverseness is in his heart, he contriveth evil at all times; he scattereth abroad 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 suddenly come his calamity: unawares shalt he be broken without a remedy.
16 Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:
Six things there are which the Lord hateth; and seven are an abomination unto his spirit:
17 Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause;
Haughty eyes, a tongue of falsehood, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;
A heart that contriveth plans of injustice, feet that hasten to run after evil,
19 A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers.
A false witness that eagerly uttereth lies, and him that scattereth abroad discord among brethren.
20 My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:
Keep, O my son, the commandment of thy father, and reject not the teaching of thy mother:
21 Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.
Bind them upon thy heart continually, tie them about thy throat.
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 walkest, it shall lead thee; when thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou art awake, it shall converse 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 the way of life are the admonitions of correction:
24 They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.
To guard thee against a bad woman, from the flattery of an alien tongue.
25 Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.
Covet not her beauty in thy heart, and let her not conquer 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 harlot [one is brought down] to the last loaf of bread: and an adulterous woman will even hunt for the precious life,
27 May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?
Can a man gather up fire in his lap, and shall his clothes not be burnt?
28 Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?
Can a man walk along upon hot coals, and shall his feet not be burnt?
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 it is with him that goeth in to his neighbor's wife: no one that toucheth her shall remain unpunished.
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 the thief, if he steal, to gratify his craving 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.
And if he be found, he must pay sevenfold; all the wealth his house must he give.
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 sense: he that is the destroyer of his soul, will alone do this.
33 Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.
Plague and disgrace will he meet with; and his reproach will not be blotted out.
34 For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy.
For jealousy is the fury of a husband, and he will not spare on 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 the appearance of any ransom; and he will not be content, though thou give ever so many bribes.
