Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou have become surety for thy neighbour, —have struck for a stranger thy hands,
My son, if you be surety for your friend, if you have stricken your hand with a stranger,
2 Thou hast been snared by the sayings of thy mouth, —thou hast been caught by the sayings of thy mouth.
You are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with 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;
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.
4 Do not give sleep to thine eyes, or slumber to thine eyelashes;
Give not sleep to your eyes, nor 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.
Deliver yourself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard, observe her ways, and be wise;
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Which, having no harvest, scribe, or ruler,
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 Prepareth, in the summer, her food, hath collected, in the harvest, her sustenance.
Provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie? how long ere thou rise from thy sleep?
How long will you sleep, O sluggard? when will you arise out of your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest: —
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So shall come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
So shall your poverty come as one that travels, and your want as an armed man.
12 An abandoned man, a man of iniquity, [is he] who—goeth on in perversity of mouth;
A naughty person, a wicked man, walks with a fraudulent mouth.
13 Winketh with his eyes, speaketh with his foot, pointeth with his fingers;
He winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers;
14 [Hath] perverse things in his heart, deviseth mischief on every occasion, strifes, he sendeth forth.
Frowardness is in his heart, he devises mischief continually; he 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 shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16 These six things, doth Yahweh hate, yea, seven, are the abomination of his soul: —
These six things does the LORD hate: yes, seven are an abomination to him:
17 Eyes that are lofty, a tongue that is false, and hands shedding innocent blood;
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart contriving iniquitous devices, feet hasting to run into mischief;
An heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 One that uttereth lies—a false witness, and one sending forth strifes between brethren.
A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows 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 forsake not the law of your mother:
21 Bind them upon thy heart continually, fasten them upon thy neck;
Bind them continually on your heart, and tie them about 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 go, it shall lead you; when you sleep, it shall keep you; and when you wake, it shall talk with you.
23 For, a lamp, is the commandment, and, the instruction, a light, and, the way of life, are the reproofs of correction:
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of 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 flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Do not covet her beauty, in thy heart, neither let her take thee, by her eyelashes;
Lust not after her beauty in your heart; neither let her take you with her eyelids.
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 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 snatch up fire in his bosom, and, his clothes, not be burned?
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can a man walk upon hot coals, and, his feet, not be burned?
Can one go on hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So, he that goeth in unto his neighbour’s wife, no man shall be guiltless who toucheth her!
So he that goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
30 Men despise not a thief, when he stealeth, to satisfy his appetite, because he is famished;
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 Yet, if found, he must pay back sevenfold, All the substance of his house, must he give:
But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 He that committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh sense, A destroyer of his own life, is he that doeth it;
But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding: he that does it destroys his own soul.
33 Smiting and shame, shall he find, and, his reproach, shall not be wiped out;
A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For, jealousy, is the rage of a man, nor will he spare, in the day of avenging;
For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare 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 regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
