Proverbs 6

1 My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,

[My] son, if you become surety for your friend, you shall deliver your hand to an enemy.

2 you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.

For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.

3 Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, since you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.

[My] son, do what I command you, and deliver yourself; for on your friend's account you are come into the power of evil [men]: faint not, but stir up even your friend for whom you are become surety.

4 Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber with your eyelids;

5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

that you may deliver yourself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.

7 which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,

8 provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labours kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.

9 How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

How long will you lie, O sluggard? and when will you awake out of sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—

You sleep a little, and you rest a little, and you slumber a short [time], and you fold your arms over your breast a little.

11 so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

Then poverty comes upon you as an evil traveller, and lack as a swift courier: but if you be diligent, your harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.

12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,

A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.

13 who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers,

And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.

14 in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.

15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.

16 There are six things which the LORD hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.

17 arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].

19 a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.

20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.

[My] son, keep the laws of your father, and reject not the ordinances of your mother:

21 Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

but bind them upon your soul continually, and hang them as a chain about your 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.

Whenever you walk, lead this along and let it be with you; that it may talk with you when you wake.

23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:

24 to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

to keep you continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.

25 Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

Let not the desire of beauty overcome you, neither be you caught by your eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.

26 For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.

27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?

28 Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?

29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.

30 Men don’t despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,

It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:

31 but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.

but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.

32 He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

But the adulterer through lack of sense procures destruction to his soul.

33 He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.

34 For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.

For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: 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 forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.