Proverbs 6
1 [My] son, if you become surety for your friend, you shall deliver your hand to an enemy.
My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbour, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,
2 For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.
you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
3 [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.
Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, since you have come into the hand of your neighbour. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbour.
4 Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber with your eyelids;
Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 that you may deliver yourself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.
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, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.
Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;
7 For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,
which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 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 labors 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.
provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie, O sluggard? and when will you awake out of sleep?
How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?
10 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.
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 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.
so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.
12 A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.
A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,
13 And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.
who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers,
14 [His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.
in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
15 Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.
Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
16 For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.
There are six things which the LORD hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
17 The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;
arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].
a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19 An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.
a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord amongst brothers.
20 [My] son, keep the laws of your father, and reject not the ordinances of your mother:
My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 but bind them upon your soul continually, and hang them as a chain about your neck.
Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.
22 Whenever you walk, lead this along and let it be with you; that it may talk with you when you wake.
When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.
23 For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:
For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 to keep you continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.
to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.
25 Let not the desire of beauty overcome you, neither be you caught by your eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.
Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
26 For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.
For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
27 Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?
Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burnt?
28 or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?
Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.
So is he who goes in to his neighbour’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.
30 It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:
Men don’t despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,
31 but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.
but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.
32 But the adulterer through lack of sense procures destruction to his soul.
He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
33 He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.
He will get wounds and dishonour. His reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.
He won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
