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 son, if thou be surety for thy friend, [if] thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
2 thou art snared with the words of thy mouth; thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, for thou hast fallen into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 Escape as a roe from the hand [of the hunter] and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise,
7 Who having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 provides her food in the summer [and] gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 [Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travels and thy want as an armed man.
12 A wicked man of Belial walks with a perverse mouth.
13 He winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers;
14 there is perversion in his heart; he devises evil continually; he sows discord.
15 Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.
16 These six [things] does the LORD hate: [yea], seven [are] an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 a false witness [that] speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.
20 My son, keep thy father's commandment and forsake not the law of thy mother:
21 Bind them continually upon thine heart [and] tie them about thy 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.
23 For the commandment [is] fire, and the law [is] light; and reproofs of chastening [are] the way of life,
24 to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eyes.
26 For by means of a whorish woman [a man is reduced] to a piece of bread, and the woman will hunt the precious soul of the man.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So [is] he that goes in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever touches her shall not be innocent.
30 [Men] do not take a thief lightly, [even] if he steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 and once he is taken, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 [But] whosoever commits adultery with a woman [has a] fault in [his] heart; he [that] does it corrupts his own soul.
33 A wound and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall never be wiped away.
34 For the jealous rage of a man will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he want to forgive, though thou givest many bribes.: