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 thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
2 then you are ensnared by the words of your own mouth, and taken captive by your own words.
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
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 now, my son, deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
4 Do not grant sleep to your eyes, nor let your eyelids slumber.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 Rescue yourself like a gazelle from the hand, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
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 lazy one, and consider her ways, and so learn wisdom.
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 For though she has no ruler, nor instructor, nor leader,
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 she provides meals for herself in the summer, and she gathers at the harvest what she may eat.
Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you slumber, you lazy one? When will you rise up from your sleep?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 You will sleep a little, you will slumber a little, you will fold your hands a little to sleep,
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to 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.
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
12 An apostate man, a harmful man, walks with a perverse mouth;
A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
13 he winks with the eyes, touches with the foot, speaks with the finger.
He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14 With a depraved heart he devises evil, and at all times he sows conflict.
Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
15 To this one, his perdition will arrive promptly, and he shall be crushed suddenly: he will no longer have any remedy.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16 Six things there are that the Lord hates, and the seventh, his soul detests:
These six things doth YHWH hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises the most wicked thoughts, feet running swiftly unto evil,
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 a deceitful witness bringing forth lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My son, preserve the precepts of your father, and do not dismiss the law of your mother.
My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
21 Bind them to your heart unceasingly, and encircle them around your throat.
Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy 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.
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 commandment is a lamp, and law is a light, and the reproofs of discipline 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 So may they guard you from an evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the outsider.
To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Let not your heart desire her beauty; do not be captivated by her winks.
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26 For the price of a prostitute is only one loaf. Yet the woman seizes the precious soul of a man.
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 Would a man be able to conceal fire in his bosom, so that his garments would not burn?
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or could he walk over burning coals, so that his feet would not be burned?
Can one go upon hot 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 he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30 Not so great is the fault when someone has stolen. For he steals so as to satisfy a hungry soul.
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 Also, if he is apprehended, he shall repay sevenfold and hand over all the substance of his house.
But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 But whoever is an adulterer, because of the emptiness of his heart, will destroy his own soul.
But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 He gathers shame and dishonor to himself, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For the jealousy and fury of the husband will not spare him on the day of vindication,
For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 nor will he agree to the pleadings of anyone, nor will he accept, as repayment, a multitude of gifts.
He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
