Proverbs, 6

1. My child, if you have gone surety for your neighbour, if you have guaranteed the bond of a stranger,

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

2. if you have committed yourself with your lips, if through words of yours you have been entrapped,

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

3. do this, my child, to extricate yourself -- since you have put yourself in the power of your neighbour: go, humble yourself, plead with your neighbour,

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.

4. give your eyes no sleep, your eyelids no rest,

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

5. break free like a gazelle from the trap, like a bird from the fowler's clutches.

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

6. Idler, go to the ant; ponder her ways and grow wise:

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

7. no one gives her orders, no overseer, no master,

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

8. yet all through the summer she gets her food ready, and gathers her supplies at harvest time.

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

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

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

10. A little sleep, a little drowsiness, a little folding of the arms to lie back,

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

11. and poverty comes like a vagrant and, like a beggar, dearth.

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

12. A scoundrel, a vicious man, he goes with a leer on his lips,

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

13. winking his eye, shuffling his foot, beckoning with his finger.

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

14. Trickery in his heart, always scheming evil, he sows dissension.

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

15. Disaster will overtake him sharply for this, suddenly, irretrievably, he will be broken.

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

16. There are six things that Yahweh hates, seven that he abhors:

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

17. a haughty look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

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

18. a heart that weaves wicked plots, feet that hurry to do evil,

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

19. a false witness who lies with every breath, and one who sows dissension among brothers.

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

20. Keep your father's precept, my child, do not spurn your mother's teaching.

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

21. Bind them ever to your heart, tie them round your neck.

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

22. While you are active, they will guide you, when you fall asleep, they will watch over you, when you wake up, they will converse with you.

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

23. For the precept is a lamp, the teaching is a light; correction and discipline are the way to life,

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

24. preserving you from the woman of bad character, from the wheedling talk of a woman who belongs to another.

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

25. Do not covet her beauty in your heart or let her captivate you with the play of her eyes;

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

26. a prostitute can be bought for a hunk of bread, but a married woman aims to snare a precious life.

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.

27. Can a man carry fire inside his shirt without setting his clothes alight?

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

28. Can you walk on red-hot coals without burning your feet?

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

29. Just so, the man who makes love to his neighbour's wife: no one who touches her will get off unpunished.

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

30. People attach but little blame to a thief who steals only to satisfy his hunger;

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

31. yet even he, if caught, will have to repay sevenfold and hand over all his family resources.

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

32. But the adulterer has no sense; he works his own destruction.

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

33. All he will get is blows and contempt, and dishonour never to be blotted out.

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

34. For jealousy inflames the husband who will show no mercy when the day comes for revenge;

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

35. he will not consider any compensation; lavish what gifts you may, he will not be placated.

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