Proverbs 6
1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger,
My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger.
2 if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.
3 then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor.
Do therefore, my son, what I say, and deliver thyself: because thou art fallen into the hand of thy neighbour. Run about, make haste, stir up thy friend:
4 Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
7 Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler,
Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,
8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.
Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:
11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
And want shall come upon thee, as a traveller, and poverty as a man armed. But if thou be diligent, thy harvest shall come as a fountain, and want shall flee far from thee.
12 A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,
A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,
13 winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers.
He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.
14 With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.
With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.
15 Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.
To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.
16 There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,
A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,
19 a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.
A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
My son, beep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
21 Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.
Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.
22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.
When thou walkest, let them go with thee: when thou sleepest, let them keep thee; and when thou awakest, talk with them.
23 For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,
Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.
25 Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:
26 For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.
27 Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?
Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?
Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.
30 Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.
The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:
31 Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.
And if he be taken he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.
32 He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.
But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:
33 Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.
He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:
34 For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.
Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,
35 He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish gifts.
Nor will he yield to any man’s prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.
