Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger.
My son, if thou hast become surety for another, If thou hast stricken hands for another,
2 Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.
If thou hast become ensnared by the words of thy mouth, If thou hast been caught by the words of thy mouth,
3 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:
Do this now, my son, and rescue thyself, —Since thou hast fallen into the hands of thy neighbor, —Go, prostrate thyself, and be urgent with thy neighbor!
4 Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids;
5 Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Rescue thyself, as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
Go to the ant, O sluggard! Consider her ways, and be wise!
7 Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,
She hath no governor, Nor overseer, nor ruler;
8 Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
Yet she prepareth in the summer her food, She gathereth in the harvest her meat.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?
How long wilt thou lie in bed, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise from thy sleep?
10 Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:
“A little sleep, —a little slumber, —A little folding of the hands to rest:”
11 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.
So shall thy poverty come upon thee like a robber, Yea, thy want, as an armed man!
12 A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,
A worthless wretch is the unrighteous man, Who walketh with a deceitful mouth;
13 He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.
Who winketh with his eyes, Speaketh with his feet, And teacheth with his fingers.
14 With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.
Fraud is in his heart; He deviseth mischief continually; He scattereth contentions.
15 To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.
Therefore shall calamity come upon him suddenly; In a moment shall he be destroyed, and that without remedy;
16 Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:
These six things doth the LORD hate; Yea, seven are an abomination to him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
Lofty eyes, a false tongue, And hands which shed innocent blood;
18 A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,
A heart that contriveth wicked devices; Feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19 A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.
A false witness, that uttereth lies, And him that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My son, beep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
Keep, O my son! the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the precepts of thy mother!
21 Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.
Bind them continually to thy heart, Tie them around thy neck!
22 When thou walkest, let them go with thee: when thou sleepest, let them keep thee; and when thou awakest, talk with them.
When thou goest forth, they shall guide thee; When thou sleepest, they shall watch over thee; And, when thou awakest, they shall talk with thee.
23 Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
For the commandment is a lamp, and instruction a light; Yea, the rebukes of correction lead to life.
24 That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.
They shall guard thee from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the unchaste woman.
25 Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:
Desire not her beauty in thy heart, Nor let her catch thee with her eyelids;
26 For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.
For by a harlot a man is brought to a morsel of bread, And the adulteress layeth snares for the precious life.
27 Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?
Can a man take fire into his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
Can one walk upon burning coals, And his feet not be scorched?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.
So is it with him who goeth in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.
30 The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:
Men do not overlook a thief, Though he steal to satisfy his appetite, when he is hungry;
31 And if he be taken he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.
If found, he must repay sevenfold, And give up all the substance of his house.
32 But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:
Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; He that doeth it destroyeth himself;
33 He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:
Blows and dishonor shall he get, And his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,
For jealousy is the fury of a man; He will not spare in the day of vengeance;
35 Nor will he yield to any man’s prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.
And he will not pay regard to any ransom, Nor be content, though thou offer many gifts.
