Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou have become surety for thy neighbour, —have struck for a stranger thy hands,
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger,
2 Thou hast been snared by the sayings of thy mouth, —thou hast been caught by the sayings of thy mouth.
if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
3 Do this then, my son, and deliver thyself, When thou hast come into the hand of thy neighbour, Go, haste thee, and urge thy neighbour;
then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor.
4 Do not give sleep to thine eyes, or slumber to thine eyelashes;
Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver thyself, as a gazelle out of the hand, and as a bird, out of the hand of the fowler.
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, thou sluggard, observe her ways, and be wise;
Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
7 Which, having no harvest, scribe, or ruler,
Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler,
8 Prepareth, in the summer, her food, hath collected, in the harvest, her sustenance.
it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie? how long ere thou rise from thy sleep?
How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest: —
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 So shall come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
12 An abandoned man, a man of iniquity, [is he] who—goeth on in perversity of mouth;
A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,
13 Winketh with his eyes, speaketh with his foot, pointeth with his fingers;
winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers.
14 [Hath] perverse things in his heart, deviseth mischief on every occasion, strifes, he sendeth forth.
With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.
15 For this cause, suddenly cometh his doom, in a moment, shall he be torn in pieces and there be no mending.
Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.
16 These six things, doth Yahweh hate, yea, seven, are the abomination of his soul: —
There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
17 Eyes that are lofty, a tongue that is false, and hands shedding innocent blood;
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart contriving iniquitous devices, feet hasting to run into mischief;
a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,
19 One that uttereth lies—a false witness, and one sending forth strifes between brethren.
a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.
20 Observe thou, my son, the commandment of thy father, and do not decline from the instruction of thy mother:
My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them upon thy heart continually, fasten them upon thy neck;
Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.
22 When thou walkest abroad, it shall guide thee, when thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee, when thou wakest, it shall speak to thee:
When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.
23 For, a lamp, is the commandment, and, the instruction, a light, and, the way of life, are the reproofs of correction:
For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,
24 To keep thee from the wicked woman, from the flattery of the tongue of her that is a stranger.
to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
25 Do not covet her beauty, in thy heart, neither let her take thee, by her eyelashes;
Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
26 Because, for the sake of an impure woman, [a man may be brought] even to a cake of bread, —and, a man’s wife, for a precious soul, may hunt!
For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
27 Can a man snatch up fire in his bosom, and, his clothes, not be burned?
Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can a man walk upon hot coals, and, his feet, not be burned?
Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?
29 So, he that goeth in unto his neighbour’s wife, no man shall be guiltless who toucheth her!
So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 Men despise not a thief, when he stealeth, to satisfy his appetite, because he is famished;
Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.
31 Yet, if found, he must pay back sevenfold, All the substance of his house, must he give:
Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.
32 He that committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh sense, A destroyer of his own life, is he that doeth it;
He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.
33 Smiting and shame, shall he find, and, his reproach, shall not be wiped out;
Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.
34 For, jealousy, is the rage of a man, nor will he spare, in the day of avenging;
For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not look, at any ransom, neither will he consent, though thou increase the bribe.
He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish gifts.
