Proverbs 6
1 My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,
My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hand in pledge 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.
You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your 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 yourself, seeing you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;
Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your 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.
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:
Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;
7 Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.
provides her bread in the summer, and gathers 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 will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
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 your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity 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 worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth;
13 Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;
who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;
14 His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.
in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
15 For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.
Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
16 Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:
There are six things which YHWH hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
17 Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause;
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;
18 A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;
a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are 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 who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
20 My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:
My son, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
21 Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.
Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your 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 you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.
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. 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 you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the foreign woman.
25 Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.
Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you 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 a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
27 May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?
Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?
Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
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 is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will not be 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 a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself 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 is found, he must repay seven times. He shall give all the wealth 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.
He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
33 Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.
He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will 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 arouses the fury of the husband. He won't 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 won't regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
