Proverbs 6

¹Mi sone, if thou hast bihiyt for thi freend; thou hast fastned thin hoond at a straunger.

²Thou art boundun bi the wordis of thi mouth; and thou art takun with thin owne wordis.

³Therfor, my sone, do thou that that Y seie, and delyuere thi silf; for thou hast fallun in to the hond of thi neiybore. Renne thou aboute, haste thou, reise thi freend;

⁴yyue thou not sleep to thin iyen, nether thin iyeliddis nappe.

⁵Be thou rauyschid as a doo fro the hond; and as a bridde fro aspiyngis of the foulere.

⁶O! thou slowe man, go to the `amte, ether pissemyre; and biholde thou hise weies, and lerne thou wisdom.

⁷Which whanne he hath no duyk, nethir comaundour, nether prince;

⁸makith redi in somer mete to hym silf, and gaderith togidere in heruest that, that he schal ete.

⁹Hou long schalt thou, slow man, slepe? whanne schalt thou rise fro thi sleep?

¹⁰A litil thou schalt slepe, a litil thou schalt nappe; a litil thou schalt ioyne togidere thin hondis, that thou slepe.

¹¹And nedynesse, as a weigoere, schal come to thee; and pouert, as an armed man. Forsothe if thou art not slow, thi ripe corn schal come as a welle; and nedynesse schal fle fer fro thee.

¹²A man apostata, a man vnprofitable, he goith with a weiward mouth;

¹³he bekeneth with iyen, he trampith with the foot, he spekith with the fyngur,

¹⁴bi schrewid herte he ymagyneth yuel, and in al tyme he sowith dissenciouns.

¹⁵His perdicioun schal come to hym anoon, and he schal be brokun sodeynli; and he schal no more haue medecyn.

¹⁶Sixe thingis ben, whyche the Lord hatith; and hise soule cursith the seuenthe thing.

¹⁷Hiye iyen, a tunge liere, hondis schedinge out innocent blood,

¹⁸an herte ymagynynge worste thouytis, feet swifte to renne in to yuel,

¹⁹a man bringynge forth lesingis, a fals witnesse; and him that sowith discordis among britheren.

²⁰Mi sone, kepe the comaundementis of thi fadir; and forsake not the lawe of thi modir.

²¹Bynde thou tho continueli in thin herte; and cumpasse `to thi throte.

²²Whanne thou goist, go tho with thee; whanne thou slepist, kepe tho thee; and thou wakynge speke with tho.

²³For the comaundement of God is a lanterne, and the lawe is liyt, and the blamyng of techyng is the weie of lijf;

²⁴`that the comaundementis kepe thee fro an yuel womman, and fro a flaterynge tunge of a straunge womman.

²⁵Thin herte coueite not the fairnesse of hir; nether be thou takun bi the signes of hir.

²⁶For the prijs of an hoore is vnnethe of o loof; but a womman takith the preciouse soule of a man.

²⁷Whether a man mai hide fier in his bosum, that hise clothis brenne not;

²⁸ethir go on colis, and hise feet be not brent?

²⁹So he that entrith to the wijf of his neiybore; schal not be cleene, whanne he hath touchid hir.

³⁰It is not greet synne, whanne a man stelith; for he stelith to fille an hungri soule.

³¹And he takun schal yelde the seuenthe fold; and he schal yyue al the catel of his hous, and schal delyuere hym silf.

³²But he that is avouter; schal leese his soule, for the pouert of herte.

³³He gaderith filthe, and sclaundrith to hym silf; and his schenschip schal not be don awei.

³⁴For the feruent loue and strong veniaunce of the man schal not spare in the dai of veniaunce,

³⁵nether schal assente to the preieris of ony; nether schal take ful many yiftis for raunsum.

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.