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 have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,
2 you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.
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, my son, and make yourself free, because you have come into the power of your neighbour; go without waiting, and make a strong request to your neighbour.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;
Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:
7 which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.
9 How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?
How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—
A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
11 so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.
Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man
12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,
A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;
13 who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers,
Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;
14 in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.
15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.
16 There are six things which the LORD hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:
17 arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause;
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;
19 a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers.
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:
21 Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.
Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round 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.
In your walking, it will be your guide; when you are sleeping, it will keep watch over you; when you are awake, it will have 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 rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life.
24 to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.
They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.
25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.
26 For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life.
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?
May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?
28 Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.
So it is with him who goes in to his neighbour's wife; he who has anything to do with her will not go free from punishment.
30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,
Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:
31 but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.
But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house.
32 He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul.
33 He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.
Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.
34 For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He will not spare in the day of vengeance.
For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy.
35 He will not regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.
