< Proverbs 6 >

1 My son, if thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand for a stranger,
My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger.
2 thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.
3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, since thou hast come into the hand of thy friend: go, humble thyself, and be urgent with thy friend.
Do therefore, my son, what I say, and deliver thyself: because thou art fallen into the hand of thy neighbour. Run about, make haste, stir up thy friend:
4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids:
Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.
5 deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand [of the hunter], and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise:
Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
7 which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,
8 provideth her bread in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest.
Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long, sluggard, wilt thou lie down? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest!
Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:
11 So shall thy poverty come as a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.
And want shall come upon thee, as a traveller, and poverty as a man armed. But if thou be diligent, thy harvest shall come as a fountain, and want shall flee far from thee.
12 A man of Belial, a wicked person, is he that goeth about with a perverse mouth;
A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,
13 he winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.
14 deceits are in his heart; he deviseth mischief at all times, he soweth discords.
With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly: in a moment shall he be broken, and without remedy.
To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.
16 These six [things] doth Jehovah hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations; feet that are swift in running to mischief;
A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,
19 a false witness that uttereth lies, and he that soweth discords among brethren.
A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My son, observe thy father's commandment, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
My son, beep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
21 bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck:
Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.
22 when thou walkest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and [when] thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
When thou walkest, let them go with thee: when thou sleepest, let them keep thee; and when thou awakest, talk with them.
23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thy heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids;
Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:
26 for by means of a whorish woman [a man is brought] to a loaf of bread, and another's wife doth hunt for the precious soul.
For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his garments not be burned?
Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife: whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.
30 They do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry:
The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:
31 and if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
And if he be taken he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.
32 Whoso committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:
33 A wound and contempt shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance;
Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,
35 he will not regard any ransom, neither will he rest content though thou multipliest [thy] gifts.
Nor will he yield to any man’s prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.

< Proverbs 6 >