Proverbs, 6

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

1. My son, if you have stood bail for your neighbor or guaranteed the word of a stranger;

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

2. if you have committed yourself with your own lips, know that you have trapped yourself with your own words.

3. Do 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.

3. Then do this, my son: release yourself. If you have fallen into the hands of your neighbor, go speedily, kneel down and plead with him;

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

4. do not give sleep to your eyes or rest to your eyelids.

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

5. Break free, like a gazelle from the trap or a bird from the hand.

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

6. You idler, go to the ant, watch her ways and be wise.

7. Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

7. She has no master, no steward or overseer.

8. Provideth her meat in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest.

8. She secures food in summer and stores up provisions during harvest time.

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

9. How long, you idler, are you going to lie around? When do you intend to rise from sleep?

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

10. A little sleep, a little drowsiness and your laziness creeps upon you and then, like a tramp,

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

11. poverty comes, bringing misery like a vagabond.

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

12. The villain, the unjust man, goes about with a sneer on his lips,

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

13. winking his eye, shuffling his feet and beckoning with his finger.

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

14. His heart is deceitful; he is forever plotting evil and causing arguments.

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

15. Therefore, disaster will suddenly and irrevocably overtake him.

16. These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him:

16. There are six things Yahweh hates; seven his inner being detests:

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

17. the proud look, the lying tongue, hands which spill innocent blood,

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

18. the depraved heart, feet which speed towards evil,

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

19. a false and lying witness and the one who sows discord among people.

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

20. My son, respect your father's instruction and do not reject your mother's teaching.

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

21. Hold them forever in your heart and hang them around your neck.

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

22. These will guard your footsteps, protect you when you sleep and speak to you on waking.

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

23. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light; correction teaches you the way of life.

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

24. It will protect you from the evil woman, the smooth talking of the stranger.

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

25. Do not covet her beauty in your heart or let her captivate you with her looks.

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

26. For the prostitute deserves a piece of bread but the adulteress hunts after your worthy life.

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

27. Can you hold fire in your pocket without setting fire to your clothes or

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

28. walk on hot coals without burning your feet?

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

29. So it is for the man who approaches his neighbor's wife: all who touch her will be punished.

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

30. One does not condemn the hungry thief who steals to fill his stomach;

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

31. nevertheless, if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold and give all the goods in his house.

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

32. How senseless is the adulterer! Whoever commits adultery destroys himself.

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

33. He will reap blows and contempt and his disgrace will not be erased.

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

34. Jealousy inflames the husband's heart and when he can take revenge he will have no mercy.

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

35. He will accept nothing, neither reparation nor lavish gifts.