< Proverbs 6 >

1 My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hand in pledge for a stranger;
My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, [if] thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
2 You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
3 Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, seeing you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.
Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand [of the hunter], 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, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
Provideth her meat in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
[Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth;
A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
13 who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;
He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14 in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
Frowardness [is] in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16 There are six things which the LORD hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My son, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
21 Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.
Bind them continually upon thine heart, [and] tie them about thy neck.
22 When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.
When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and [when] thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the Law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
For the commandment [is] a lamp; and the law [is] light; and reproofs of instruction [are] the way of life:
24 to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the foreign woman.
To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26 For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
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.
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.
So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:
[Men] do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 but if he is found, he must repay seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.
But [if] he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
[But] whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he [that] doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.
A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won't spare in the day of vengeance.
For jealousy [is] the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He won't regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

< Proverbs 6 >