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 become surety for your friend, you shall deliver your hand to an enemy.
2 then you are ensnared by the words of your own mouth, and taken captive by your own words.
For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own 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.
[My] son, do what I command you, and deliver yourself; for on your friend's account you are come into the power of evil [men]: faint not, but stir up even your friend for whom you are become surety.
4 Do not grant sleep to your eyes, nor let your eyelids slumber.
Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber with your eyelids;
5 Rescue yourself like a gazelle from the hand, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
that you may deliver yourself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.
6 Go to the ant, you lazy one, and consider her ways, and so learn wisdom.
Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.
7 For though she has no ruler, nor instructor, nor leader,
For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,
8 she provides meals for herself in the summer, and she gathers at the harvest what she may eat.
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 labors 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.
9 How long will you slumber, you lazy one? When will you rise up from your sleep?
How long will you lie, O sluggard? and when will you awake out of sleep?
10 You will sleep a little, you will slumber a little, you will fold your hands a little to sleep,
You sleep a little, and you rest a little, and you slumber a short [time], and you fold your arms over your breast a little.
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 poverty comes upon you as an evil traveller, and lack as a swift courier: but if you be diligent, your harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.
12 An apostate man, a harmful man, walks with a perverse mouth;
A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.
13 he winks with the eyes, touches with the foot, speaks with the finger.
And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.
14 With a depraved heart he devises evil, and at all times he sows conflict.
[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.
15 To this one, his perdition will arrive promptly, and he shall be crushed suddenly: he will no longer have any remedy.
Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.
16 Six things there are that the Lord hates, and the seventh, his soul detests:
For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;
18 a heart that devises the most wicked thoughts, feet running swiftly unto evil,
and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].
19 a deceitful witness bringing forth lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.
20 My son, preserve the precepts of your father, and do not dismiss the law of your mother.
[My] son, keep the laws of your father, and reject not the ordinances of your mother:
21 Bind them to your heart unceasingly, and encircle them around your throat.
but bind them upon your soul continually, and hang them as a chain about 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.
Whenever you walk, lead this along and let it be with you; that it may talk with you when you wake.
23 For commandment is a lamp, and law is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.
For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:
24 So may they guard you from an evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the outsider.
to keep you continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.
25 Let not your heart desire her beauty; do not be captivated by her winks.
Let not the desire of beauty overcome you, neither be you caught by your eyes, neither be captivated 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 the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.
27 Would a man be able to conceal fire in his bosom, so that his garments would not burn?
Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?
28 Or could he walk over burning coals, so that his feet would not be burned?
or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?
29 So also, he who enters to the wife of his neighbor shall not be clean when he touches her.
So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.
30 Not so great is the fault when someone has stolen. For he steals so as to satisfy a hungry soul.
It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:
31 Also, if he is apprehended, he shall repay sevenfold and hand over all the substance of his house.
but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.
32 But whoever is an adulterer, because of the emptiness of his heart, will destroy his own soul.
But the adulterer through lack of sense procures destruction to his soul.
33 He gathers shame and dishonor to himself, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.
34 For the jealousy and fury of the husband will not spare him on the day of vindication,
For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: 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 forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.
