Proverbs 6
1 My son, if you be guarantor for your friend, if you have stricken your hand with a stranger,
My son, if thou hast become surety for another, If thou hast stricken hands for another,
2 You are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with the words of your mouth.
If thou hast become ensnared by the words of thy mouth, If thou hast been caught by the words of thy 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.
Do this now, my son, and rescue thyself, —Since thou hast fallen into the hands of thy neighbor, —Go, prostrate thyself, and be urgent with thy neighbor!
4 Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids;
5 Deliver yourself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Rescue thyself, as a roe from the hand, And as 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, O sluggard! Consider her ways, and be wise!
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
She hath no governor, Nor overseer, nor ruler;
8 Provides her food in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
Yet she prepareth in the summer her food, She gathereth in the harvest her meat.
9 How long will you sleep, O sluggard? when will you arise out of your sleep?
How long wilt thou lie in bed, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise from thy 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 lack as an armed man.
So shall thy poverty come upon thee like a robber, Yea, thy want, as an armed man!
12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth.
A worthless wretch is the unrighteous man, Who walketh with a deceitful mouth;
13 He winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers;
Who winketh with his eyes, Speaketh with his feet, And teacheth with his fingers.
14 Perverseness is in his heart, he devises mischief continually; he sows discord.
Fraud is in his heart; He deviseth mischief continually; He scattereth contentions.
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
Therefore shall calamity come upon him suddenly; In a moment shall he be destroyed, and that without remedy;
16 These six things does the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
These six things doth the LORD hate; Yea, seven are an abomination to him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Lofty eyes, a false tongue, And hands which shed innocent blood;
18 An heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
A heart that contriveth wicked devices; Feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.
A false witness, that uttereth lies, And him that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not the law of your mother:
Keep, O my son! the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the precepts of thy mother!
21 Bind them continually upon your heart, and tie them about your neck.
Bind them continually to thy heart, Tie them around thy neck!
22 When you go, it shall lead you; when you sleep, it shall keep you; and when you awake, it shall talk with you.
When thou goest forth, they shall guide thee; When thou sleepest, they shall watch over thee; And, when thou awakest, they shall talk with thee.
23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
For the commandment is a lamp, and instruction a light; Yea, the rebukes of correction lead to life.
24 To keep you from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
They shall guard thee from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the unchaste woman.
25 Lust not after her beauty in your heart; neither let her take you with her eyelids.
Desire not her beauty in thy heart, Nor let her catch thee with her eyelids;
26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.
For by a harlot a man is brought to a morsel of bread, And the adulteress layeth snares for the precious life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
Can a man take fire into his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
Can one walk upon burning coals, And his feet not be scorched?
29 So he that goes in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever touches her shall not be innocent.
So is it with him who goeth in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
Men do not overlook a thief, Though he steal to satisfy his appetite, when he is hungry;
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
If found, he must repay sevenfold, And give up all the substance of his house.
32 But whoso commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding: he that does it destroys his own soul.
Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; He that doeth it destroyeth himself;
33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
Blows and dishonor shall he get, And his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
For jealousy is the fury of a man; He will not spare in the day of vengeance;
35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
And he will not pay regard to any ransom, Nor be content, though thou offer many gifts.
