Proverbs 6
1 My sonne, if thou be surety for thy neighbour, and hast striken hands with the stranger,
[My] son, if you become surety for your friend, you shall deliver your hand to an enemy.
2 Thou art snared with the wordes of thy mouth: thou art euen taken with the woordes of thine owne mouth.
For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.
3 Doe this nowe, my sonne, and deliuer thy selfe: seeing thou art come into the hande of thy neighbour, goe, and humble thy selfe, and sollicite thy friends.
[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 Giue no sleepe to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber with your eyelids;
5 Deliuer thy selfe as a doe from the hande of the hunter, and as a birde from the hande of the fouler.
that you may deliver yourself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.
6 Goe to the pismire, O sluggarde: beholde her waies, and be wise.
Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.
7 For shee hauing no guide, gouernour, nor ruler,
For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,
8 Prepareth her meat in the sommer, and gathereth her foode in haruest.
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 labours 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 Howe long wilt thou sleepe, O sluggarde? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe?
How long will you lie, O sluggard? and when will you awake out of sleep?
10 Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the hands to sleepe.
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 Therefore thy pouertie commeth as one that trauaileth by the way, and thy necessitie like an armed man.
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 The vnthriftie man and the wicked man walketh with a froward mouth.
A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.
13 He maketh a signe with his eyes: he signifieth with his feete: he instructeth with his fingers.
And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.
14 Lewde things are in his heart: he imagineth euill at all times, and raiseth vp contentions.
[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.
15 Therefore shall his destruction come speedily: hee shall be destroyed suddenly without recouerie.
Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.
16 These sixe things doeth the Lord hate: yea, his soule abhorreth seuen:
For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.
17 The hautie eyes, a lying tongue, and the hands that shed innocent blood,
The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;
18 An heart that imagineth wicked enterprises, feete that be swift in running to mischiefe,
and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].
19 A false witnesse that speaketh lyes, and him that rayseth vp contentions among brethren.
An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.
20 My sonne, keepe thy fathers commandement, and forsake not thy mothers instruction.
[My] son, keep the laws of your father, and reject not the ordinances of your mother:
21 Binde them alway vpon thine heart, and tye them about thy necke.
but bind them upon your soul continually, and hang them as a chain about your neck.
22 It shall leade thee, when thou walkest: it shall watch for thee, when thou sleepest, and when thou wakest, it shall talke with thee.
Whenever you walk, lead this along and let it be with you; that it may talk with you when you wake.
23 For the commandement is a lanterne, and instruction a light: and corrections for instruction 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 To keepe thee from the wicked woman, and from ye flatterie of ye tongue of a strange woman.
to keep you continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.
25 Desire not her beautie in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eye lids.
Let not the desire of beauty overcome you, neither be you caught by your eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.
26 For because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread, and a woman wil hunt for the precious life 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 Can a man take fire in his bosome, and his clothes not be burnt?
Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?
28 Or can a man go vpon coales, and his feete not be burnt?
or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife, shall not be innocent, whosoeuer toucheth her.
So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.
30 Men do not despise a thiefe, when he stealeth, to satisfie his soule, because he is hungrie.
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 But if he be founde, he shall restore seuen folde, or he shall giue 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 he that committeth adulterie with a woman, he is destitute of vnderstanding: he that doeth it, destroyeth his owne soule.
But the adulterer through lack of sense procures destruction to his soul.
33 He shall finde a wounde and dishonour, and his reproch shall neuer be put away.
He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.
34 For ielousie is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He cannot beare the sight of any raunsome: neither will he consent, though thou augment the giftes.
He will not forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.
