Proverbs 6
1 My son, If thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast struck thy hand for a stranger;
My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,
2 If thou art ensnared through the words of thy mouth, if thou art caught through the words of thy mouth:
you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
3 [Then] do this by all means, my son, and deliver thyself, because thou art come into the power of thy friend, Go hasten to him, and urge thy friend.
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.
4 Grant not any sleep to thy eyes, nor slumber to thy eyelids.
Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver thyself as a roebuck from the hand [of the hunter], and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; look on her ways, and become wise.
Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;
7 She, that hath no prince, officer, or ruler,
which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth in the summer her provision, gathereth in harvest-time her food.
provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie down? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?
10 “A little [more] sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in lying down;”
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 But then will thy poverty come like a rover, and thy want as a man armed with a shield.
so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.
12 A Godless person is a man of injustice, who walketh with a distorted mouth.
A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,
13 He blinketh with his eyes, he scrapeth with his feet, he pointeth with his fingers;
who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers,
14 Perverseness is in his heart, he contriveth evil at all times; he scattereth abroad discord.
in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
15 Therefore shall suddenly come his calamity: unawares shalt he be broken without a remedy.
Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
16 Six things there are which the Lord hateth; and seven are an abomination unto his spirit:
There are six things which Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
17 Haughty eyes, a tongue of falsehood, and hands that shed innocent blood,
arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that contriveth plans of injustice, feet that hasten to run after evil,
a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that eagerly uttereth lies, and him that scattereth abroad discord among brethren.
a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
20 Keep, O my son, the commandment of thy father, and reject not the teaching of thy mother:
My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them upon thy heart continually, tie them about thy throat.
Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.
22 When thou walkest, it shall lead thee; when thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou art awake, it shall converse with thee.
When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and the way of life are the admonitions of correction:
For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 To guard thee against a bad woman, from the flattery of an alien tongue.
to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.
25 Covet not her beauty in thy heart, and let her not conquer thee with her eyelids.
Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
26 For by means of a harlot [one is brought down] to the last loaf of bread: and an adulterous woman will even hunt for the precious life,
For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
27 Can a man gather up fire in his lap, and shall his clothes not be burnt?
Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can a man walk along upon hot coals, and shall his feet not be burnt?
Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
29 So it is with him that goeth in to his neighbor's wife: no one that toucheth her shall remain unpunished.
So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.
30 Men do not despise the thief, if he steal, to gratify his craving when he is hungry:
Men don’t despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,
31 And if he be found, he must pay sevenfold; all the wealth his house must he give.
but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.
32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh sense: he that is the destroyer of his soul, will alone do this.
He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
33 Plague and disgrace will he meet with; and his reproach will not be blotted out.
He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the fury of a husband, and he will not spare on the day of vengeance.
For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not regard the appearance of any ransom; and he will not be content, though thou give ever so many bribes.
He won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
