Proverbs 6

¹My son, if you have taken a pledge on behalf of your friend, then you have bound your hand to an outsider,

²then you are ensnared by the words of your own mouth, and taken captive by your own words.

³Therefore, my son, do what I say, and free yourself, for you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor. Run, hurry, awaken your friend.

⁴Do not grant sleep to your eyes, nor let your eyelids slumber.

⁵Rescue yourself like a gazelle from the hand, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, you lazy one, and consider her ways, and so learn wisdom.

⁷For though she has no ruler, nor instructor, nor leader,

⁸she provides meals for herself in the summer, and she gathers at the harvest what she may eat.

⁹How long will you slumber, you lazy one? When will you rise up from your sleep?

¹⁰You will sleep a little, you will slumber a little, you will fold your hands a little to sleep,

¹¹and then destitution will meet with you, like a traveler, and poverty, like an armed man. Yet truly, if you would be diligent, then your harvest will arrive like a fountain, and destitution will flee far from you.

¹²An apostate man, a harmful man, walks with a perverse mouth;

¹³he winks with the eyes, touches with the foot, speaks with the finger.

¹⁴With a depraved heart he devises evil, and at all times he sows conflict.

¹⁵To this one, his perdition will arrive promptly, and he shall be crushed suddenly: he will no longer have any remedy.

¹⁶Six things there are that the Lord hates, and the seventh, his soul detests:

¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸a heart that devises the most wicked thoughts, feet running swiftly unto evil,

¹⁹a deceitful witness bringing forth lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

²⁰My son, preserve the precepts of your father, and do not dismiss the law of your mother.

²¹Bind them to your heart unceasingly, and encircle them around your throat.

²²When you walk, let them keep step with you. When you sleep, let them guard you. And when you keep watch, speak with them.

²³For commandment is a lamp, and law is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.

²⁴So may they guard you from an evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the outsider.

²⁵Let not your heart desire her beauty; do not be captivated by her winks.

²⁶For the price of a prostitute is only one loaf. Yet the woman seizes the precious soul of a man.

²⁷Would a man be able to conceal fire in his bosom, so that his garments would not burn?

²⁸Or could he walk over burning coals, so that his feet would not be burned?

²⁹So also, he who enters to the wife of his neighbor shall not be clean when he touches her.

³⁰Not so great is the fault when someone has stolen. For he steals so as to satisfy a hungry soul.

³¹Also, if he is apprehended, he shall repay sevenfold and hand over all the substance of his house.

³²But whoever is an adulterer, because of the emptiness of his heart, will destroy his own soul.

³³He gathers shame and dishonor to himself, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.

³⁴For the jealousy and fury of the husband will not spare him on the day of vindication,

³⁵nor will he agree to the pleadings of anyone, nor will he accept, as repayment, a multitude of gifts.

Proverbs 6

¹My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger,

²Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.

³Do, 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:

⁴Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.

⁵Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:

⁷Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,

⁸Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

⁹How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

¹⁰Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:

¹¹And 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.

¹²A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,

¹³He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.

¹⁴With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.

¹⁵To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.

¹⁶Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:

¹⁷Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,

¹⁹A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.

²⁰My son, keep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.

²¹Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.

²²When thou walkest, let them go with thee: when thou sleepest, let them keep thee, and when thou awakest, talk with them.

²³Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

²⁴That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.

²⁵Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:

²⁶For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.

²⁷Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?

²⁸Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?

²⁹So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.

³⁰The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:

³¹And if he be taken, he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.

³²But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:

³³He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:

³⁴Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,

³⁵Nor will he yield to any man's prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.