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 taken a pledge on behalf of your friend, then you have bound your hand to an outsider,
2 You are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with the words of your mouth.
then you are ensnared by the words of your own mouth, and taken captive by your own words.
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.
Therefore, my son, do what I say, and free yourself, for you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor. Run, hurry, awaken your friend.
4 Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
Do not grant sleep to your eyes, nor let your eyelids slumber.
5 Deliver yourself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Rescue yourself like a gazelle from the hand, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Go to the ant, you lazy one, and consider her ways, and so learn wisdom.
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
For though she has no ruler, nor instructor, nor leader,
8 Provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
she provides meals for herself in the summer, and she gathers at the harvest what she may eat.
9 How long will you sleep, O sluggard? when will you arise out of your sleep?
How long will you slumber, you lazy one? When will you rise up from your sleep?
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
You will sleep a little, you will slumber a little, you will fold your hands a little to sleep,
11 So shall your poverty come as one that travels, and your want as an armed man.
and then destitution will meet with you, like a traveler, and poverty, like an armed man. Yet truly, if you would be diligent, then your harvest will arrive like a fountain, and destitution will flee far from you.
12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walks with a fraudulent mouth.
An apostate man, a harmful man, walks with a perverse mouth;
13 He winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers;
he winks with the eyes, touches with the foot, speaks with the finger.
14 Frowardness is in his heart, he devises mischief continually; he sows discord.
With a depraved heart he devises evil, and at all times he sows conflict.
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
To this one, his perdition will arrive promptly, and he shall be crushed suddenly: he will no longer have any remedy.
16 These six things does the LORD hate: yes, seven are an abomination to him:
Six things there are that the Lord hates, and the seventh, his soul detests:
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 the most wicked thoughts, feet running swiftly unto evil,
19 A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brothers.
a deceitful witness bringing forth lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of your mother:
My son, preserve the precepts of your father, and do not dismiss the law of your mother.
21 Bind them continually on your heart, and tie them about your neck.
Bind them to your heart unceasingly, and encircle them around your throat.
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, let them keep step with you. When you sleep, let them guard you. And when you keep watch, speak with them.
23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
For commandment is a lamp, and law is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.
24 To keep you from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
So may they guard you from an evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the outsider.
25 Lust not after her beauty in your heart; neither let her take you with her eyelids.
Let not your heart desire her beauty; do not be captivated by her winks.
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 price of a prostitute is only one loaf. Yet the woman seizes the precious soul of a man.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
Would a man be able to conceal fire in his bosom, so that his garments would not burn?
28 Can one go on hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
Or could he walk over burning coals, so that his feet would not be burned?
29 So he that goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
So also, he who enters to the wife of his neighbor shall not be clean when he touches her.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
Not so great is the fault when someone has stolen. For he steals so as to satisfy a hungry soul.
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
Also, if he is apprehended, he shall repay sevenfold and hand over all the substance of his house.
32 But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding: he that does it destroys his own soul.
But whoever is an adulterer, because of the emptiness of his heart, will destroy his own soul.
33 A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
He gathers shame and dishonor to himself, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
For the jealousy and fury of the husband will not spare him on the day of vindication,
35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
nor will he agree to the pleadings of anyone, nor will he accept, as repayment, a multitude of gifts.
