Proverbs 6
Jewish Publication Society of America Version (JPS1917)
1 My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger —
2 Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth, thou art caught by the words of thy mouth —
3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour; go, humble thyself, and urge thy neighbour.
4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 Deliver thyself as a gazelle 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 chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her bread in the summer, and gatherest 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 a runner, and thy want as an armed man.
12 A base person, a man of iniquity, is he that walketh with a froward mouth;
13 That winketh with his eyes, that scrapeth with his feet, that pointeth with his fingers;
14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth evil continually; he soweth discord.
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; on a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.
16 There are six things which the LORD hateth, yea, seven which are an abomination unto Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;
18 A heart that deviseth wicked thoughts, feet that are swift in running to evil;
19 A false witness that breatheth out lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My son, keep the commandment of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
21 Bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck.
22 When thou walkest, it shall lead thee, when thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life;
24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the smoothness of the alien tongue.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; neither let her captivate thee with her eyelids.
26 For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a loaf of bread, but the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.
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 must restore sevenfold, he must give all the substance of his house.
32 He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he doeth it that would destroy his own soul.
33 Wounds and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man, and 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.