Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger.
[My] son, if thou become surety for thy friend, thou shalt deliver thine hand to an enemy.
2 Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.
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 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:
[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, neither let thy eyelids slumber.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber with thine eyelids;
5 Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, 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, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.
7 Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,
For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,
8 Provideth her meat for herself 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 rise out of thy sleep?
How long wilt thou lie, O sluggard? and when wilt thou awake out of sleep?
10 Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little 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 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 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 man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,
A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.
13 He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.
And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.
14 With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.
[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.
15 To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.
Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.
16 Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:
For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;
18 A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,
and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].
19 A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.
An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.
20 My son, beep the commandments of thy father, 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 in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.
but bind them upon thy soul continually, and hang them as a chain about thy neck.
22 When thou walkest, let them go with thee: when thou sleepest, let them keep thee; and when thou awakest, talk with them.
Whensoever thou walkest, lead this along and let it be with thee; that it may talk with thee when thou wakest.
23 Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a 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 That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.
to keep thee continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.
25 Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:
Let not the desire of beauty overcome thee, neither be thou caught by thine eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.
26 For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.
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 hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?
Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?
28 Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
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, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.
So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.
30 The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:
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 And if he be taken he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up 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 he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:
But the adulterer through want of sense procures destruction to his soul.
33 He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:
He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.
34 Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,
For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 Nor will he yield to any man’s prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.
He will not forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.
