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 hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand,
2 Hast been snared with sayings of thy mouth, Hast been captured with sayings of thy mouth,
3 Do this now, my son, and be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and strengthen thy friend,
4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, And slumber to thine eyelids,
5 Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.
6 Go unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise;
7 Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler,
8 She doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food.
9 Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,
11 And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.
12 A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, Walking [with] perverseness of mouth,
13 Winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, Directing with his fingers,
14 Frowardness [is] in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth.
15 Therefore suddenly cometh his calamity, Instantly he is broken -- and no healing.
16 These six hath Jehovah hated, Yea, seven [are] abominations to His soul.
17 Eyes high -- tongues false -- And hands shedding innocent blood --
18 A heart devising thoughts of vanity -- Feet hasting to run to evil --
19 A false witness [who] doth breathe out lies -- And one sending forth contentions between brethren.
20 Keep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother.
21 Bind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on thy neck.
22 In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked -- it talketh [with] thee.
23 For a lamp [is] the command, And the law a light, And a way of life [are] reproofs of instruction,
24 To preserve thee from an evil woman, From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Desire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids.
26 For a harlot consumeth unto a cake of bread, And an adulteress the precious soul hunteth.
27 Doth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt?
28 Doth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched?
29 So [is] he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent.
30 They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry,
31 And being found he repayeth sevenfold, All the substance of his house he giveth.
32 He who committeth adultery [with] a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it.
33 A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away,
34 For jealousy [is] the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance.
35 He accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes!