Proverbs 6

¹My son, if thou hast become surety for another, If thou hast stricken hands for another,

²If thou hast become ensnared by the words of thy mouth, If thou hast been caught by the words of thy mouth,

³Do this now, my son, and rescue thyself,—Since thou hast fallen into the hands of thy neighbor,—Go, prostrate thyself, and be urgent with thy neighbor!

⁴Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids;

⁵Rescue thyself, as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, O sluggard! Consider her ways, and be wise!

⁷She hath no governor, Nor overseer, nor ruler;

⁸Yet she prepareth in the summer her food, She gathereth in the harvest her meat.

⁹How long wilt thou lie in bed, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise from thy sleep?

¹⁰"A little sleep,—a little slumber,—A little folding of the hands to rest:"

¹¹So shall thy poverty come upon thee like a robber, Yea, thy want, as an armed man!

¹²A worthless wretch is the unrighteous man, Who walketh with a deceitful mouth;

¹³Who winketh with his eyes, Speaketh with his feet, And teacheth with his fingers.

¹⁴Fraud is in his heart; He deviseth mischief continually; He scattereth contentions.

¹⁵Therefore shall calamity come upon him suddenly; In a moment shall he be destroyed, and that without remedy;

¹⁶These six things doth the LORD hate; Yea, seven are an abomination to him:

¹⁷Lofty eyes, a false tongue, And hands which shed innocent blood;

¹⁸A heart that contriveth wicked devices; Feet that are swift in running to mischief,

¹⁹A false witness, that uttereth lies, And him that soweth discord among brethren.

²⁰Keep, O my son! the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the precepts of thy mother!

²¹Bind them continually to thy heart, Tie them around thy neck!

²²When thou goest forth, they shall guide thee; When thou sleepest, they shall watch over thee; And, when thou awakest, they shall talk with thee.

²³For the commandment is a lamp, and instruction a light; Yea, the rebukes of correction lead to life.

²⁴They shall guard thee from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the unchaste woman.

²⁵Desire not her beauty in thy heart, Nor let her catch thee with her eyelids;

²⁶For by a harlot a man is brought to a morsel of bread, And the adulteress layeth snares for the precious life.

²⁷Can a man take fire into his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Can one walk upon burning coals, And his feet not be scorched?

²⁹So is it with him who goeth in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.

³⁰Men do not overlook a thief, Though he steal to satisfy his appetite, when he is hungry;

³¹If found, he must repay sevenfold, And give up all the substance of his house.

³²Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; He that doeth it destroyeth himself;

³³Blows and dishonor shall he get, And his reproach shall not be wiped away.

³⁴For jealousy is the fury of a man; He will not spare in the day of vengeance;

³⁵And he will not pay regard to any ransom, Nor be content, though thou offer many gifts.

Proverbs 6

¹My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

²Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

³Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

⁴Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

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

⁶Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

⁷Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

⁸Provideth her meat 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?

¹⁰Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

¹¹So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

¹²A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

¹³He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

¹⁴Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

¹⁵Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

¹⁶These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

¹⁷A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

¹⁹A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

²⁰My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

²¹Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

²²When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

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

²⁴To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

²⁵Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

²⁶For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

²⁷Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

²⁹So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

³⁰Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

³¹But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

³²But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

³³A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

³⁴For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

³⁵He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.