Proverbs 6
1 My son, if you set aside your money as a guarantee for your neighbor's loan, if you gave your promise for a loan of someone you do not know,
My son, if you be surety for your friend, if you have stricken your hand with a stranger,
2 then you have laid a trap for yourself by your promise and you have been caught by the words of your mouth.
You are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with the words of your mouth.
3 When you are caught by your words, my son, do this and save yourself, since you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor; go and humble yourself and make your case before your neighbor.
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 Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber.
Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from 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 Look at the ant, you lazy person, consider her ways, and be wise.
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 It has no commander, officer, or ruler,
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 yet it prepares its food in the summer and during the harvest it stores up what it will eat.
Provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you sleep, you lazy person? When will you rise from your 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 and your poverty will come like a robber and your needs like an armed soldier.
So shall your poverty come as one that travels, and your want as an armed man.
12 A worthless person—a wicked man— lives by the crookedness of his speech,
A naughty person, a wicked man, walks with a fraudulent mouth.
13 winking his eyes, making signals with his feet and pointing with his fingers.
He winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers;
14 He plots evil with deceit in his heart; he always stirs up discord.
Frowardness is in his heart, he devises mischief continually; he sows discord.
15 Therefore his disaster will overtake him in an instant; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16 There are six things that Yahweh hates, seven that are disgusting to him.
These six things does the LORD hate: yes, seven are an abomination to him:
17 The eyes of a proud person, a tongue that lies, hands that shed the blood of innocent people,
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that invents wicked schemes, feet that quickly run to do evil,
An heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 a witness who breathes out lies and one who sows discord among brothers.
A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brothers.
20 My son, obey the command of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of your mother:
21 Always bind them on your heart; tie them about your neck.
Bind them continually on your heart, and tie them about your neck.
22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you wake up, they will teach you.
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 the commands are a lamp, and the teaching is a light; the corrections that come by 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 It keeps you from the immoral woman, from the smooth words of an immoral woman.
To keep you from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes.
Lust not after her beauty in your heart; neither let her take you with her eyelids.
26 Sleeping with a prostitute can cost the price of a loaf of bread, but the wife of another may cost you your very 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 carry a fire against his chest without burning his clothes?
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?
Can one go on hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So is the man who sleeps with his neighbor's wife; the one who sleeps with her will not go unpunished.
So he that goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his need when he is hungry.
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 Yet if he is caught, he will pay back seven times what he stole; he must give up everything of value in his house.
But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 The one who commits adultery has no sense; the one who does it destroys himself.
But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding: he that does it destroys his own soul.
33 Wounds and shame are what he deserves and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy makes a man furious; he will show no mercy when he takes his revenge.
For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will accept no compensation and he cannot be bought off, though you offer him many gifts.
He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
