Proverbs 6

1My son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand,

1My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger,

1My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,

2Hast been snared with sayings of thy mouth, Hast been captured with sayings of thy mouth,

2Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.

2You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.

3Do 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,

3Do, therefore, my son, what I say, and deliver thyself: because thou art fallen into the hand of thy neighbour. Run about, make haste, stir up thy friend:

3Do this, my son, and make yourself free, because you have come into the power of your neighbour; go without waiting, and make a strong request to your neighbour.

4Give not sleep to thine eyes, And slumber to thine eyelids,

4Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.

4Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;

5Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.

5Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

5Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her.

6Go unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise;

6Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:

6Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:

7Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler,

7Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,

7Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

8She doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food.

8Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

8She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.

9Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?

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

9How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?

10A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,

10Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:

10A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:

11And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.

11And want shall come upon thee, as a traveller, and poverty as a man armed. But if thou be diligent, thy harvest shall come as a fountain, and want shall flee far from thee.

11Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man

12A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, Walking <FI>with<Fi> perverseness of mouth,

12A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,

12A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;

13Winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, Directing with his fingers,

13He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.

13Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;

14Frowardness <FI>is<Fi> in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth.

14With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.

14His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.

15Therefore suddenly cometh his calamity, Instantly he is broken--and no healing.

15To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.

15For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.

16These six hath Jehovah hated, Yea, seven <FI>are<Fi> abominations to His soul.

16Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:

16Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:

17Eyes high--tongues false--And hands shedding innocent blood--

17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

17Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause;

18A heart devising thoughts of vanity--Feet hasting to run to evil--

18A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,

18A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;

19A false witness <FI>who<Fi> doth breathe out lies--And one sending forth contentions between brethren.

19A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.

19A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers.

20Keep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother.

20My son, keep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.

20My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:

21Bind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on thy neck.

21Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.

21Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.

22In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked--it talketh <FI>with<Fi> thee.

22When thou walkest, let them go with thee: when thou sleepest, let them keep thee, and when thou awakest, talk with them.

22In your walking, it will be your guide; when you are sleeping, it will keep watch over you; when you are awake, it will have talk with you.

23For a lamp <FI>is<Fi> the command, And the law a light, And a way of life <FI>are<Fi> reproofs of instruction,

23Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

23For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life.

24To preserve thee from an evil woman, From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

24That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.

24They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.

25Desire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids.

25Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:

25Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.

26For a harlot consumeth unto a cake of bread, And an adulteress the precious soul hunteth.

26For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.

26For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life.

27Doth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt?

27Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?

27May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?

28Doth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched?

28Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?

28Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?

29So <FI>is<Fi> he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent.

29So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.

29So it is with him who goes in to his neighbour's wife; he who has anything to do with her will not go free from punishment.

30They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry,

30The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:

30Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:

31And being found he repayeth sevenfold, All the substance of his house he giveth.

31And if he be taken, he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.

31But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house.

32He who committeth adultery <FI>with<Fi> a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it.

32But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:

32He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul.

33A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away,

33He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:

33Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.

34For jealousy <FI>is<Fi> the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance.

34Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,

34For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy.

35He accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes!

35Nor will he yield to any man's prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.

35He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.