1 My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor,
if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,
2 you are trapped by the words of your mouth;
you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
3 Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself,
since you have come into the hand of your neighbor.
Go, humble yourself.
Press your plea with your neighbor.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes,
nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard.
Consider her ways, and be wise;
7 which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 provides her bread in the summer,
and gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you sleep, sluggard?
When will you arise out of your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 so your poverty will come as a robber,
and your scarcity as an armed man.
12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity,
is he who walks with a perverse mouth,
13 who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet,
who motions with his fingers,
14 in whose heart is perverseness,
who devises evil continually,
who always sows discord.
15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly.
He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
16 There are six things which Yahweh hates;
yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
17 arrogant eyes, a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19 a false witness who utters lies,
and he who sows discord among brothers.
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them continually on your heart.
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, it will lead you.
When you sleep, it will watch over you.
When you awake, it will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp,
and the law is light.
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 to keep you from the immoral woman,
from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.
25 Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart,
neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
26 For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread.
The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap,
and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one walk on hot coals,
and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife.
Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.
30 Men don’t despise a thief
if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,
31 but if he is found, he shall restore seven times.
He shall give all the wealth of his house.
32 He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding.
He who does it destroys his own soul.
33 He will get wounds and dishonor.
His reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband.
He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He won’t regard any ransom,
neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
1 My seun, as jy vir jou naaste borg gestaan het, vir 'n vreemde jou handslag gegee het,
2 verstrik is in die woorde van jou mond, gevang is deur die woorde van jou mond,
3 doen dan dit, my seun, om jouself te red -- want jy het in die hand van jou naaste geraak -- gaan, werp jou neer en bestorm jou naaste,
4 gun jou oë geen slaap en jou ooglede geen sluimering nie;
5 red jou soos 'n gemsbok uit die hand, en soos 'n voël uit die hand van 'n voëlvanger.
6 Gaan na die mier, luiaard, kyk na sy weë en word wys!
7 Hy wat geen aanvoerder, opsigter of heerser het nie,
8 maak sy brood klaar in die somer, bêre sy voedsel weg in die oestyd.
9 Hoe lank, luiaard, sal jy bly lê, wanneer sal jy opstaan uit jou slaap?
10 Nog 'n bietjie slaap, nog 'n bietjie sluimer, nog 'n bietjie hande-vou om uit te rus!
11 So kom dan jou armoede soos 'n rondloper en jou gebrek soos 'n gewapende man.
12 'n Deugniet, 'n kwaaddoener is hy wat met 'n valse mond rondloop,
13 wat met sy oë knip, met sy voete beduie, met sy vingers tekens gee;
14 in wie se hart valse streke is, wat altyd onheil bewerk en tweedrag saai.
15 Daarom sal sy ondergang skielik kom, onvoorsiens sal hy verbreek word sonder dat daar genesing voor is.
16 Hierdie ses dinge haat die HERE, en sewe is vir sy siel 'n gruwel:
17 trotse oë, 'n leuenagtige tong en hande wat onskuldige bloed vergiet,
18 'n hart wat onheilsplanne beraam, voete wat haastig na die kwaad toe loop,
19 een wat as valse getuie leuens uitstrooi en tussen broers tweedrag saai.
20 Bewaar, my seun, die gebod van jou vader, en verwerp die onderwysing van jou moeder nie;
21 bind dit gedurigdeur op jou hart, hang dit om jou hals;
22 mag dit jou lei as jy wandel, oor jou wag hou as jy slaap en jou toespreek as jy wakker word.
23 Want die gebod is 'n lamp en die onderwysing 'n lig en die teregwysinge van die tug 'n weg tot die lewe,
24 om jou te bewaar vir 'n slegte vrou, vir die gevlei van 'n vreemde tong.
25 Begeer haar skoonheid nie in jou hart nie, en laat sy jou nie vang met haar ooglede nie;
26 want vir 'n hoer verval 'n mens tot 'n stuk brood, en 'n ander se vrou maak jag op 'n kosbare lewe.
27 Kan iemand vuur in sy skoot dra sonder dat sy klere verbrand?
28 Of kan iemand op gloeiende kole loop sonder dat sy voete brandwonde kry?
29 So is dit met hom wat by die vrou van sy naaste ingaan; elkeen wat haar aanraak, sal nie ongestraf bly nie.
30 'n Dief word nie verag as hy steel om sy begeerte te bevredig nie, omdat hy honger het;
31 en as hy uitgevind word, moet hy sewevoudig vergoeding gee; al die goed van sy huis moet hy gee.
32 Hy wat owerspel pleeg, is sonder verstand; hy wat sy eie lewe wil verwoes, hy doen so iets;
33 slae en skande sal hy kry, en sy smaad sal nie uitgewis word nie;
34 want jaloersheid is 'n toorngloed in 'n man, en op die dag van wraak verskoon hy nie;
35 hy neem glad geen losprys in aanmerking nie, en hy willig nie in nie al maak jy die omkoopgeskenk nog so groot.