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, suppose you have pledged to guarantee your neighbor's debt, or you have shaken hands in agreement with a stranger,
2 you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
then you've trapped yourself by what you promised, you've been caught by what you said.
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.
So this is what you have to do. You need to get out of it, because you've put yourself in that person's power. Go to your neighbor in all humility and ask him to release you from the commitment.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
Don't delay, saying that you'll sleep on it. Don't rest until you've done it.
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
Get out of it like a gazelle escaping from a trap, like a bird from a bird-catcher's net.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;
Go and observe the ants, you slacker! Learn from what they do and become wise.
7 which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
They don't have a leader, an officer, or a ruler,
8 provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
yet they work hard during the summer getting their food, gathering what they need during the harvest.
9 How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?
So how long are you going to lie there, you slacker? When are you going to get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—
You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
11 so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.
and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,
Rebellious and wicked people go around telling lies,
13 who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers,
winking slyly, giving sneaky foot gestures, rudely pointing with their fingers.
14 in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
Their warped minds plot evil schemes; they're always causing trouble.
15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
As a result, disaster falls suddenly on such people; in just a moment they're destroyed without hope of healing.
16 There are six things which the LORD hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
There are six things that the Lord hates, seven things that he absolutely detests:
17 arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that murder the innocent,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
a mind that plots evil schemes, feet that hurriedly run to do wrong,
19 a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
a false witness that speaks lies, those who caused arguments in families.
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
My son, pay attention to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching.
21 Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.
Keep them always in mind. Tie them around 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.
They will lead you as you walk along; they will watch over you as you sleep; when you wake up they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
For the instruction is a lamp, and the teaching is a light. The correction that comes from discipline is the way to life.
24 to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.
It will protect you from an evil woman and the seductive words of a prostitute.
25 Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
Don't let your mind lust after her beauty, or let her hypnotize you with her fluttering eyelashes.
26 For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
You can buy a prostitute for the price of a loaf of bread, but adultery with another man's wife can cost you your life.
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?
Can you put fire in your lap and not burn your clothes?
28 Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
Can you walk on hot coals and not scorch your feet?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.
It's the same for anyone who sleeps with another man's wife. No one who touches her will remain unpunished.
30 Men don’t despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,
People don't condemn a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he's hungry.
31 but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.
But if he's caught, he has to pay back seven times what he stole, even if it means handing over everything he has in his house.
32 He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
Any man who commits adultery with a woman has no sense; he who does so destroys himself.
33 He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.
He will be wounded and dishonored. His disgrace will never be removed.
34 For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.
For jealousy makes a husband furious, and he won't hold back when he takes revenge.
35 He won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
He refuses any compensation, and won't be paid off, however big the amount.
