Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand for a stranger,
My son, suppose you have pledged to guarantee your neighbor's debt, or you have shaken hands in agreement with a stranger,
2 thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
then you've trapped yourself by what you promised, you've been caught by what you said.
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.
So this is what you have to do. You need to get out of it, because you've put yourself in that person's power. Go to your neighbor in all humility and ask him to release you from the commitment.
4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids:
Don't delay, saying that you'll sleep on it. Don't rest until you've done it.
5 deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand [of the hunter], and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Get out of it like a gazelle escaping from a trap, like a bird from a bird-catcher's net.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise:
Go and observe the ants, you slacker! Learn from what they do and become wise.
7 which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
They don't have a leader, an officer, or a ruler,
8 provideth her bread in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest.
yet they work hard during the summer getting their food, gathering what they need during the harvest.
9 How long, sluggard, wilt thou lie down? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
So how long are you going to lie there, you slacker? When are you going to get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest!
You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
11 So shall thy poverty come as a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.
and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
12 A man of Belial, a wicked person, is he that goeth about with a perverse mouth;
Rebellious and wicked people go around telling lies,
13 he winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
winking slyly, giving sneaky foot gestures, rudely pointing with their fingers.
14 deceits are in his heart; he deviseth mischief at all times, he soweth discords.
Their warped minds plot evil schemes; they're always causing trouble.
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly: in a moment shall he be broken, and without remedy.
As a result, disaster falls suddenly on such people; in just a moment they're destroyed without hope of healing.
16 These six [things] doth Jehovah hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
There are six things that the Lord hates, seven things that he absolutely detests:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;
arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that murder the innocent,
18 a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations; feet that are swift in running to mischief;
a mind that plots evil schemes, feet that hurriedly run to do wrong,
19 a false witness that uttereth lies, and he that soweth discords among brethren.
a false witness that speaks lies, those who caused arguments in families.
20 My son, observe thy father's commandment, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
My son, pay attention to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching.
21 bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck:
Keep them always in mind. Tie them around your 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.
They will lead you as you walk along; they will watch over you as you sleep; when you wake up they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
For the instruction is a lamp, and the teaching is a light. The correction that comes from discipline is the way to life.
24 to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
It will protect you from an evil woman and the seductive words of a prostitute.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thy heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids;
Don't let your mind lust after her beauty, or let her hypnotize you with her fluttering eyelashes.
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.
You can buy a prostitute for the price of a loaf of bread, but adultery with another man's wife can cost you your life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his garments not be burned?
Can you put fire in your lap and not burn your clothes?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
Can you walk on hot coals and not scorch your feet?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife: whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
It's the same for anyone who sleeps with another man's wife. No one who touches her will remain unpunished.
30 They do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry:
People don't condemn a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he's hungry.
31 and if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
But if he's caught, he has to pay back seven times what he stole, even if it means handing over everything he has in his house.
32 Whoso committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
Any man who commits adultery with a woman has no sense; he who does so destroys himself.
33 A wound and contempt shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
He will be wounded and dishonored. His disgrace will never be removed.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance;
For jealousy makes a husband furious, and he won't hold back when he takes revenge.
35 he will not regard any ransom, neither will he rest content though thou multipliest [thy] gifts.
He refuses any compensation, and won't be paid off, however big the amount.
