Proverbs 6
1 My son, if you be surety for your friend, if you have stricken your hand with a stranger,
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger,
2 You are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with the words of your mouth.
if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
3 Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, when you are come into the hand of your friend; go, humble yourself, and make sure your friend.
then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor.
4 Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver yourself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you sleep, O sluggard? when will you arise out of your sleep?
How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 So shall your poverty come as one that travels, and your want as an armed man.
and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walks with a fraudulent mouth.
A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,
13 He winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers;
winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers.
14 Frowardness is in his heart, he devises mischief continually; he sows discord.
With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.
16 These six things does the LORD hate: yes, seven are an abomination to him:
There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,
19 A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brothers.
a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of your mother:
My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them continually on your heart, and tie them about your neck.
Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.
22 When you go, it shall lead you; when you sleep, it shall keep you; and when you wake, it shall talk with you.
When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,
24 To keep you from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
25 Lust not after her beauty in your heart; neither let her take you with her eyelids.
Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go on hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?
29 So he that goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.
32 But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding: he that does it destroys his own soul.
He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.
33 A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish gifts.
