Proverbs 6

1 My son, if thou art surety for thy friend, if thou hast struck thy hand with a stranger,

[My] son, if thou become surety for thy friend, thou shalt deliver thine hand to an enemy.

2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy 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 thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and plead with thy friend.

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

4 Give not sleep to thy eyes, nor slumber to thy eyelids.

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

5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

that thou mayest deliver thyself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.

6 Go to the ant, thou 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 guide, overseer, or ruler,

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

8 Provideth her food in the summer, and gathereth 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 wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

How long wilt thou lie, O sluggard? and when wilt thou awake out of sleep?

10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

Thou sleepest a little, and thou restest a little, and thou slumberest a short [time], and thou foldest thine arms over thy breast a little.

11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

Then poverty comes upon thee as an evil traveller, and want as a swift courier: but if thou be diligent, thine harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.

12 A worthless person, a wicked man, walketh with a perverse mouth.

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

13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth 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 Perverseness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

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

15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

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

16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven 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 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

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

18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, 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 that speaketh lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.

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

20 My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

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

21 Bind them continually upon thy heart, and tie them about thy neck.

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

22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

Whensoever thou walkest, lead this along and let it be with thee; that it may talk with thee when thou wakest.

23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and 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 thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of an adulteress woman.

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

25 Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

Let not the desire of beauty overcome thee, neither be thou caught by thine eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.

26 For by means of an harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the 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 take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

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

28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

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

29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

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

30 Men do not despise a thief, if he stealeth to satisfy his soul 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 sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

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

32 But whoever committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

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

33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

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

34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not 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 will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

He will not forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.