Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger.
My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,
2 Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.
You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.
3 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:
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 not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.
Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;
5 Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand 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, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:
7 Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,
Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth 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 wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?
How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?
10 Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:
A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
11 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.
Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man
12 A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,
A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;
13 He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.
Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;
14 With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.
His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.
15 To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.
For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.
16 Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:
Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:
17 Haughty 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 deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,
A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;
19 A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.
A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers.
20 My son, beep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:
21 Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.
Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.
22 When thou walkest, let them go with thee: when thou sleepest, let them keep thee; and when thou awakest, talk with them.
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 Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and 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 That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.
They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.
25 Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:
Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.
26 For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.
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 hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?
May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?
28 Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.
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 The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:
Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:
31 And if he be taken he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance 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 But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy 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 gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:
Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.
34 Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,
For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy.
35 Nor will he yield to any man’s prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.
He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.
