Proverbs 6

1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger,

2 if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,

3 then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor.

4 Allow no sleep to your eyes or 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 Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.

7 Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler,

8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?

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

11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

12 A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,

13 winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers.

14 With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.

15 Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.

16 There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:

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

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,

19 a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.

20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

21 Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.

22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.

23 For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,

24 to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

25 Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.

26 For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

27 Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?

28 Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?

29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.

30 Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.

31 Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.

32 He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

33 Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.

34 For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.

35 He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish 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, when thou art come 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 Deliver thyself 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 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 Provideth her meat in the summer, [and] gathereth 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 travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19 A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth 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] a lamp; and the law [is] light; and reproofs of instruction [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 eyelids.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 My child, become thou surety for thy neighbour, and have thine hand arrested with a stranger,

2 so thou art bound with the speech of thy, mouth, and captive with the speeches of thy mouth.

3 Do thou therefore, my child, and save thyself: for thou art come into thy neighbour's hand: make haste, press, and drive thy neighbour.

4 Let not thine eyes sleep, nor let thine eyelids slumber.

5 Deliver thee as a deer from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the vulture.

6 Go unto the ant, thou sluggard, behold her ways, and learn.

7 Whether she have no prince, nor captain, nor lord,

8 For she maketh her bread in summer, and gathereth her meat in harvest.

9 How long have you been lying there, lazy one? When wilt thou rise from thy sleep?

10 Yea, sleep yet a little, slumber a little, clasp thy hands together a little, that thou mayest sleep,

11 Then poverty shall overtake thee as a footman, and want as a man armed.

12 A loose man, an evil man, prayeth with a perverse mouth,

13 Beckon with eyes, point with feet, point with fingers, 14: Seeketh always evil and perverseness in his heart, and maketh strife.

15 Therefore his accident shall come upon him suddenly, and shall be broken fast, that there shall be no help.

16 These six things hateth the LORD: and in the seventh he abhorreth:

17 High eyes, false tongues, hands that shed innocent blood;

18 heart, which dealeth wickedly; feet, which are nimble to do hurt;

19 False witness, one that speaketh lies boldly, and that causeth strife between brethren.

20 My child, keep the commandments of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother.

21 Bind them together upon thy heart every way, and hang them upon thy neck:

22 When thou walkest, that they may guide thee; when thou liest down, that they may preserve thee; when thou awakest, that they may be thy conversation.

23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light: and the chastening of correction is a way of life,

24 That thou mayest be preserved from the wicked woman, from the smooth tongue of strangers.

25 Let not their beauty lusteth in thine heart, neither be thou offended at their eyelids.

26 For a harlot deprivileth a man of his bread: but a wife feedeth the noble life.

27 Can any man also keep a fire in his bosom, that his garments burn not?

28 How shall a man walk upon coals, that his feet be not burned?

29 So goeth he that toucheth his neighbour's wife: there is none unpunished that toucheth her.

30 It is not so great a reproach to a thief, if he steal, to satisfy his soul, because he hunger.

31 And if he be understood, he shall restore it sevenfold, and lay up all the substance of his house.

32 But he that committeth adultery with a woman is a fool: he bringeth his life to destruction.

33 And he shall be plagued with shame, and his reproach shall not be blotted out.

34 For the wrath of man is fierce, and spareth not in the time of vengeance.

35 And looketh not on any person to make reconciliation, and receiveth not, whether thou wilt give much.