Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou have become surety for thy neighbour, —have struck for a stranger thy hands,
My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hand in pledge for a stranger;
2 Thou hast been snared by the sayings of thy mouth, —thou hast been caught by the sayings of thy mouth.
You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
3 Do this then, my son, and deliver thyself, When thou hast come into the hand of thy neighbour, Go, haste thee, and urge thy neighbour;
Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, seeing you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.
4 Do not give sleep to thine eyes, or slumber to thine eyelashes;
Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver thyself, as a gazelle out of the hand, and as a bird, out of 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, observe her ways, and be wise;
Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;
7 Which, having no harvest, scribe, or ruler,
which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 Prepareth, in the summer, her food, hath collected, in the harvest, her sustenance.
provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie? how long ere thou rise from thy sleep?
How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest: —
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So shall come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.
12 An abandoned man, a man of iniquity, [is he] who—goeth on in perversity of mouth;
A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth;
13 Winketh with his eyes, speaketh with his foot, pointeth with his fingers;
who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;
14 [Hath] perverse things in his heart, deviseth mischief on every occasion, strifes, he sendeth forth.
in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
15 For this cause, suddenly cometh his doom, in a moment, shall he be torn in pieces and there be no mending.
Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
16 These six things, doth Yahweh hate, yea, seven, are the abomination of his soul: —
There are six things which YHWH hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
17 Eyes that are lofty, a tongue that is false, and hands shedding innocent blood;
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;
18 A heart contriving iniquitous devices, feet hasting to run into mischief;
a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19 One that uttereth lies—a false witness, and one sending forth strifes between brethren.
a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
20 Observe thou, my son, the commandment of thy father, and do not decline from the instruction of thy mother:
My son, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
21 Bind them upon thy heart continually, fasten them upon thy neck;
Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.
22 When thou walkest abroad, it shall guide thee, when thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee, when thou wakest, it shall speak to 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, a lamp, is the commandment, and, the instruction, a light, and, the way of life, are the reproofs of correction:
For the commandment is a lamp, and the Law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 To keep thee from the wicked woman, from the flattery of the tongue of her that is a stranger.
to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the foreign woman.
25 Do not covet her beauty, in thy heart, neither let her take thee, by her eyelashes;
Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
26 Because, for the sake of an impure woman, [a man may be brought] even to a cake of bread, —and, a man’s wife, for a precious soul, may hunt!
For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
27 Can a man snatch up fire in his bosom, and, his clothes, not be burned?
Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can a man walk upon hot coals, and, his feet, not be burned?
Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
29 So, he that goeth in unto his neighbour’s wife, no man shall be guiltless who toucheth her!
So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.
30 Men despise not a thief, when he stealeth, to satisfy his appetite, because he is famished;
Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:
31 Yet, if found, he must pay back sevenfold, All the substance of his house, must he give:
but if he is found, he must repay seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.
32 He that committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh sense, A destroyer of his own life, is he that doeth it;
He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
33 Smiting and shame, shall he find, and, his reproach, shall not be wiped out;
He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For, jealousy, is the rage of a man, nor will he spare, in the day of avenging;
For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won't spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not look, at any ransom, neither will he consent, though thou increase the bribe.
He won't regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
