Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger.
My son, if you set aside your money as a guarantee for your neighbor's loan, if you gave your promise for a loan of someone you do not know,
2 Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.
then you have laid a trap for yourself by your promise and you have been caught by the words of your 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:
When you are caught by your words, my son, do this and save yourself, since you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor; go and humble yourself and make your case before your neighbor.
4 Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.
Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber.
5 Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
Look at the ant, you lazy person, consider her ways, and be wise.
7 Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,
It has no commander, officer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
yet it prepares its food in the summer and during the harvest it stores up what it will eat.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?
How long will you sleep, you lazy person? When will you rise from your 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.
and your poverty will come like a robber and your needs like an armed soldier.
12 A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,
A worthless person—a wicked man— lives by the crookedness of his speech,
13 He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.
winking his eyes, making signals with his feet and pointing with his fingers.
14 With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.
He plots evil with deceit in his heart; he always stirs up discord.
15 To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.
Therefore his disaster will overtake him in an instant; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.
16 Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:
There are six things that Yahweh hates, seven that are disgusting to him.
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
The eyes of a proud person, a tongue that lies, hands that shed the blood of innocent people,
18 A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,
a heart that invents wicked schemes, feet that quickly run to do evil,
19 A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.
a witness who breathes out lies and one who sows discord among brothers.
20 My son, beep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
My son, obey the command of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
21 Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.
Always bind them on your heart; tie them about your 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 you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you wake up, they will teach you.
23 Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
For the commands are a lamp, and the teaching is a light; the corrections that come by instruction are the way of life.
24 That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.
It keeps you from the immoral woman, from the smooth words of an immoral woman.
25 Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:
Do not lust in your heart after her beauty and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes.
26 For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.
Sleeping with a prostitute can cost the price of a loaf of bread, but the wife of another may cost you your very life.
27 Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?
Can a man carry a fire against his chest without burning his clothes?
28 Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.
So is the man who sleeps with his neighbor's wife; the one who sleeps with her will not go unpunished.
30 The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:
People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his need when he is hungry.
31 And if he be taken he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.
Yet if he is caught, he will pay back seven times what he stole; he must give up everything of value in his house.
32 But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:
The one who commits adultery has no sense; the one who does it destroys himself.
33 He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:
Wounds and shame are what he deserves and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,
For jealousy makes a man furious; he will show no mercy when he takes his revenge.
35 Nor will he yield to any man’s prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.
He will accept no compensation and he cannot be bought off, though you offer him many gifts.
