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 thou hast become surety for another, If thou hast stricken hands for another,
2 you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your 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 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.
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 Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids;
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare 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, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;
Go to the ant, O sluggard! Consider her ways, and be wise!
7 which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
She hath no governor, Nor overseer, nor ruler;
8 provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
Yet she prepareth in the summer her food, She gathereth in the harvest her meat.
9 How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your 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 sleep—
“A little sleep, —a little slumber, —A little folding of the hands to rest:”
11 so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.
So shall thy poverty come upon thee like a robber, Yea, thy want, as an armed man!
12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,
A worthless wretch is the unrighteous man, Who walketh with a deceitful mouth;
13 who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers,
Who winketh with his eyes, Speaketh with his feet, And teacheth with his fingers.
14 in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
Fraud is in his heart; He deviseth mischief continually; He scattereth contentions.
15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
Therefore shall calamity come upon him suddenly; In a moment shall he be destroyed, and that without remedy;
16 There are six things which Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
These six things doth the LORD hate; Yea, seven are an abomination to him:
17 arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
Lofty eyes, a false tongue, And hands which shed innocent blood;
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
A heart that contriveth wicked devices; Feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19 a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
A false witness, that uttereth lies, And him that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
Keep, O my son! the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the precepts of thy mother!
21 Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.
Bind them continually to thy heart, Tie them around thy 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.
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 the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
For the commandment is a lamp, and instruction a light; Yea, the rebukes of correction lead to life.
24 to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.
They shall guard thee from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the unchaste woman.
25 Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
Desire not her beauty in thy heart, Nor let her catch thee with her eyelids;
26 For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
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 scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?
Can a man take fire into his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
Can one walk upon burning coals, And his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.
So is it with him who goeth in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.
30 Men don’t despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,
Men do not overlook a thief, Though he steal to satisfy his appetite, when he is hungry;
31 but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.
If found, he must repay sevenfold, And give up all the substance of his house.
32 He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; He that doeth it destroyeth himself;
33 He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.
Blows and dishonor shall he get, And his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.
For jealousy is the fury of a man; 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.
And he will not pay regard to any ransom, Nor be content, though thou offer many gifts.
