Proverbs 6
1 My son, if you have taken a pledge on behalf of your friend, then you have bound your hand to an outsider,
My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,
2 then you are ensnared by the words of your own mouth, and taken captive by your own words.
You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.
3 Therefore, my son, do what I say, and free yourself, for you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor. Run, hurry, awaken your friend.
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 Do not grant sleep to your eyes, nor let your eyelids slumber.
Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;
5 Rescue yourself like a gazelle from the hand, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
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, you lazy one, and consider her ways, and so learn wisdom.
Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:
7 For though she has no ruler, nor instructor, nor leader,
Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 she provides meals for herself in the summer, and she gathers at the harvest what she may eat.
She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.
9 How long will you slumber, you lazy one? When will you rise up from your sleep?
How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?
10 You will sleep a little, you will slumber a little, you will fold your hands a little to sleep,
A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
11 and then destitution will meet with you, like a traveler, and poverty, like an armed man. Yet truly, if you would be diligent, then your harvest will arrive like a fountain, and destitution will flee far from you.
Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man
12 An apostate man, a harmful man, walks with a perverse mouth;
A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;
13 he winks with the eyes, touches with the foot, speaks with the finger.
Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;
14 With a depraved heart he devises evil, and at all times he sows conflict.
His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.
15 To this one, his perdition will arrive promptly, and he shall be crushed suddenly: he will no longer have any remedy.
For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.
16 Six things there are that the Lord hates, and the seventh, his soul detests:
Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause;
18 a heart that devises the most wicked thoughts, feet running swiftly unto evil,
A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;
19 a deceitful witness bringing forth lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers.
20 My son, preserve the precepts of your father, and do not dismiss the law of your mother.
My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:
21 Bind them to your heart unceasingly, and encircle them around your throat.
Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.
22 When you walk, let them keep step with you. When you sleep, let them guard you. And when you keep watch, speak with them.
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 commandment is a lamp, and law is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.
For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life.
24 So may they guard you from an evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the outsider.
They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.
25 Let not your heart desire her beauty; do not be captivated by her winks.
Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.
26 For the price of a prostitute is only one loaf. Yet the woman seizes the precious soul of a man.
For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life.
27 Would a man be able to conceal fire in his bosom, so that his garments would not burn?
May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?
28 Or could he walk over burning coals, so that his feet would not be burned?
Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So also, he who enters to the wife of his neighbor shall not be clean when he 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 Not so great is the fault when someone has stolen. For he steals so as to satisfy a hungry soul.
Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:
31 Also, if he is apprehended, he shall repay sevenfold and hand over all the substance of his house.
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 whoever is an adulterer, because of the emptiness of his heart, will destroy his own 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 gathers shame and dishonor to himself, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.
34 For the jealousy and fury of the husband will not spare him on the day of vindication,
For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy.
35 nor will he agree to the pleadings of anyone, nor will he accept, as repayment, a multitude of gifts.
He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.
