Proverbs 6
1 [My] son, if thou become surety for thy friend, thou shalt deliver thine hand to an enemy.
My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,
2 For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.
You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.
3 [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.
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.
4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber with thine eyelids;
Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;
5 that thou mayest deliver thyself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.
Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her.
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.
Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:
7 For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,
Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 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.
She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.
9 How long wilt thou lie, O sluggard? and when wilt thou awake out of sleep?
How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?
10 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.
A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
11 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.
Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man
12 A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.
A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;
13 And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.
Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;
14 [His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.
His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.
15 Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.
For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.
16 For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.
Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:
17 The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;
Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause;
18 and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].
A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;
19 An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.
A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers.
20 [My] son, keep the laws of thy father, and reject not the ordinances of thy mother:
My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:
21 but bind them upon thy soul continually, and hang them as a chain about thy neck.
Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.
22 Whensoever thou walkest, lead this along and let it be with thee; that it may talk with thee when thou wakest.
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.
23 For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:
For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life.
24 to keep thee continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.
They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.
25 Let not the desire of beauty overcome thee, neither be thou caught by thine eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.
Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.
26 For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.
For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life.
27 Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?
May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?
28 or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?
Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.
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.
30 It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:
Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:
31 but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.
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.
32 But the adulterer through want of sense procures destruction to his soul.
He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul.
33 He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.
Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.
34 For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy.
35 He will not forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.
He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.
