Proverbs 6
1 My son, If thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast struck thy hand for a stranger;
My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger.
2 If thou art ensnared through the words of thy mouth, if thou art caught through the words of thy mouth:
Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.
3 [Then] do this by all means, my son, and deliver thyself, because thou art come into the power of thy friend, Go hasten to him, and urge thy friend.
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 Grant not any sleep to thy eyes, nor slumber to thy eyelids.
Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.
5 Deliver thyself as a roebuck from the hand [of the hunter], and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; look on her ways, and become wise.
Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
7 She, that hath no prince, officer, or ruler,
Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,
8 Provideth in the summer her provision, gathereth in harvest-time her food.
Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie down? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?
10 “A little [more] sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in lying down;”
Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:
11 But then will thy poverty come like a rover, and thy want as a man armed with a shield.
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 A Godless person is a man of injustice, who walketh with a distorted mouth.
A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,
13 He blinketh with his eyes, he scrapeth with his feet, he pointeth with his fingers;
He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.
14 Perverseness is in his heart, he contriveth evil at all times; he scattereth abroad discord.
With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.
15 Therefore shall suddenly come his calamity: unawares shalt he be broken without a remedy.
To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.
16 Six things there are which the Lord hateth; and seven are an abomination unto his spirit:
Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:
17 Haughty eyes, a tongue of falsehood, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that contriveth plans of injustice, feet that hasten to run after evil,
A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,
19 A false witness that eagerly uttereth lies, and him that scattereth abroad discord among brethren.
A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.
20 Keep, O my son, the commandment of thy father, and reject not the teaching of thy mother:
My son, beep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
21 Bind them upon thy heart continually, tie them about thy throat.
Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.
22 When thou walkest, it shall lead thee; when thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou art awake, it shall converse 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 commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and the way of life are the admonitions of correction:
Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 To guard thee against a bad woman, from the flattery of an alien tongue.
That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.
25 Covet not her beauty in thy heart, and let her not conquer thee with her eyelids.
Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:
26 For by means of a harlot [one is brought down] to the last loaf of bread: and an adulterous woman will even hunt for the precious life,
For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.
27 Can a man gather up fire in his lap, and shall his clothes not be burnt?
Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?
28 Can a man walk along upon hot coals, and shall his feet not be burnt?
Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
29 So it is with him that goeth in to his neighbor's wife: no one that toucheth her shall remain unpunished.
So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.
30 Men do not despise the thief, if he steal, to gratify his craving when he is hungry:
The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:
31 And if he be found, he must pay sevenfold; all the wealth his house must he give.
And if he be taken he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.
32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh sense: he that is the destroyer of his soul, will alone do this.
But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:
33 Plague and disgrace will he meet with; and his reproach will not be blotted out.
He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:
34 For jealousy is the fury of a husband, and he will not spare on the day of vengeance.
Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,
35 He will not regard the appearance of any ransom; and he will not be content, though thou give ever so many bribes.
Nor will he yield to any man’s prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.
