Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou have become surety for thy neighbour, —have struck for a stranger thy hands,
My son, if thou hast become surety for another, If thou hast stricken hands for another,
2 Thou hast been snared by the sayings of thy mouth, —thou hast been caught by the sayings of thy mouth.
If thou hast become ensnared by the words of thy mouth, If thou hast been caught by the words of thy 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 rescue thyself, —Since thou hast fallen into the hands of thy neighbor, —Go, prostrate thyself, and be urgent with thy neighbor!
4 Do not give sleep to thine eyes, or slumber to thine eyelashes;
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids;
5 Deliver thyself, as a gazelle out of the hand, and as a bird, out of the hand of the fowler.
Rescue thyself, as a roe from the hand, 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, O sluggard! Consider her ways, and be wise!
7 Which, having no harvest, scribe, or ruler,
She hath no governor, Nor overseer, nor ruler;
8 Prepareth, in the summer, her food, hath collected, in the harvest, her sustenance.
Yet she prepareth in the summer her food, She gathereth in the harvest her meat.
9 How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie? how long ere thou rise from thy sleep?
How long wilt thou lie in bed, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise from thy 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.
So shall thy poverty come upon thee like a robber, Yea, thy want, as an armed man!
12 An abandoned man, a man of iniquity, [is he] who—goeth on in perversity of mouth;
A worthless wretch is the unrighteous man, Who walketh with a deceitful mouth;
13 Winketh with his eyes, speaketh with his foot, pointeth with his fingers;
Who winketh with his eyes, Speaketh with his feet, And teacheth with his fingers.
14 [Hath] perverse things in his heart, deviseth mischief on every occasion, strifes, he sendeth forth.
Fraud is in his heart; He deviseth mischief continually; He scattereth contentions.
15 For this cause, suddenly cometh his doom, in a moment, shall he be torn in pieces and there be no mending.
Therefore shall calamity come upon him suddenly; In a moment shall he be destroyed, and that without remedy;
16 These six things, doth Yahweh hate, yea, seven, are the abomination of his soul: —
These six things doth the LORD hate; Yea, seven are an abomination to him:
17 Eyes that are lofty, a tongue that is false, and hands shedding innocent blood;
Lofty eyes, a false tongue, And hands which shed innocent blood;
18 A heart contriving iniquitous devices, feet hasting to run into mischief;
A heart that contriveth wicked devices; Feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19 One that uttereth lies—a false witness, and one sending forth strifes between brethren.
A false witness, that uttereth lies, And him that soweth discord among brethren.
20 Observe thou, my son, the commandment of thy father, and do not decline from the instruction of thy mother:
Keep, O my son! the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the precepts of thy mother!
21 Bind them upon thy heart continually, fasten them upon thy neck;
Bind them continually to thy heart, Tie them around thy 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 thou goest forth, they shall guide thee; When thou sleepest, they shall watch over thee; And, when thou awakest, they shall talk with thee.
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 instruction a light; Yea, the rebukes of correction lead to life.
24 To keep thee from the wicked woman, from the flattery of the tongue of her that is a stranger.
They shall guard thee from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the unchaste woman.
25 Do not covet her beauty, in thy heart, neither let her take thee, by her eyelashes;
Desire not her beauty in thy heart, Nor let her catch thee 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 a harlot a man is brought to a morsel of bread, And the adulteress layeth snares 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 into 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 walk upon burning coals, And his feet not be scorched?
29 So, he that goeth in unto his neighbour’s wife, no man shall be guiltless who toucheth her!
So is it with him who goeth in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.
30 Men despise not a thief, when he stealeth, to satisfy his appetite, because he is famished;
Men do not overlook a thief, Though he steal to satisfy his appetite, when he is hungry;
31 Yet, if found, he must pay back sevenfold, All the substance of his house, must he give:
If found, he must repay sevenfold, And give up 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;
Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; He that doeth it destroyeth himself;
33 Smiting and shame, shall he find, and, his reproach, shall not be wiped out;
Blows 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 fury of a man; 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.
And he will not pay regard to any ransom, Nor be content, though thou offer many gifts.
