< 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 art become surety for thy neighbour, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger —
2 Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.
Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth, thou art caught by the words of thy 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:
Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour; go, humble thyself, and urge thy neighbour.
4 Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise;
7 Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,
Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
Provideth her bread in the summer, and gatherest her food in the harvest.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:
'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to 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.
So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.
12 A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,
A base person, a man of iniquity, is he that walketh with a froward mouth;
13 He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.
That winketh with his eyes, that scrapeth with his feet, that pointeth with his fingers;
14 With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.
Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth evil continually; he soweth discord.
15 To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; on a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.
16 Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:
There are six things which the LORD hateth, yea, seven which are an abomination unto Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;
18 A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,
A heart that deviseth wicked thoughts, feet that are swift in running to evil;
19 A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.
A false witness that breatheth out lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My son, beep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
My son, keep the commandment of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
21 Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.
Bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them 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.
When thou walkest, it shall lead thee, when thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life;
24 That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.
To keep thee from the evil woman, from the smoothness of the alien tongue.
25 Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:
Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; neither let her captivate thee 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 on account of a harlot a man is brought to a loaf of bread, but the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.
27 Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
Or can one walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.
So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.
30 The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 And if he be taken he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.
But if he be found, he must restore sevenfold, he must give all the substance of his house.
32 But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:
He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he doeth it that would destroy his own soul.
33 He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:
Wounds and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,
For jealousy is the rage of a man, and 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 regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

< Proverbs 6 >