Proverbs 6
1 My sonne, if thou be surety for thy neighbour, and hast striken hands with the 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 wordes of thy mouth: thou art euen taken with the woordes of thine owne mouth.
Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.
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.
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 Giue no sleepe to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.
5 Deliuer thy selfe as a doe from the hande of the hunter, and as a birde from the hande of the fouler.
Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Goe to the pismire, O sluggarde: beholde her waies, and be wise.
Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
7 For shee hauing no guide, gouernour, nor ruler,
Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,
8 Prepareth her meat in the sommer, and gathereth her foode in haruest.
Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 Howe long wilt thou sleepe, O sluggarde? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?
10 Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the hands to sleepe.
Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:
11 Therefore thy pouertie commeth as one that trauaileth by the way, and thy necessitie like 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 The vnthriftie man and the wicked man walketh with a froward mouth.
A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,
13 He maketh a signe with his eyes: he signifieth with his feete: he instructeth with his fingers.
He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.
14 Lewde things are in his heart: he imagineth euill at all times, and raiseth vp contentions.
With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.
15 Therefore shall his destruction come speedily: hee shall be destroyed suddenly without recouerie.
To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.
16 These sixe things doeth the Lord hate: yea, his soule abhorreth seuen:
Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:
17 The hautie eyes, a lying tongue, and the hands that shed innocent blood,
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that imagineth wicked enterprises, feete that be swift in running to mischiefe,
A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,
19 A false witnesse that speaketh lyes, and him that rayseth vp contentions among brethren.
A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My sonne, keepe thy fathers commandement, and forsake not thy mothers instruction.
My son, beep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
21 Binde them alway vpon thine heart, and tye them about thy necke.
Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy 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.
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 commandement is a lanterne, and instruction a light: and corrections for 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 keepe thee from the wicked woman, and from ye flatterie of ye tongue of a strange woman.
That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.
25 Desire not her beautie in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eye lids.
Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:
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 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 bosome, and his clothes not be burnt?
Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?
28 Or can a man go vpon coales, and his feete not be burnt?
Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife, shall not be innocent, whosoeuer toucheth her.
So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.
30 Men do not despise a thiefe, when he stealeth, to satisfie his soule, because he is hungrie.
The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:
31 But if he be founde, he shall restore seuen folde, or he shall giue 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 But he that committeth adulterie with a woman, he is destitute of vnderstanding: he that doeth it, destroyeth his owne soule.
But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:
33 He shall finde a wounde and dishonour, and his reproch shall neuer be put away.
He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:
34 For ielousie is the rage of a man: therefore 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 cannot beare the sight of any raunsome: neither will he consent, though thou augment the giftes.
Nor will he yield to any man’s prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.
