Proverbs 6

Practical Warnings

1  My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
have given your pledge for a stranger,
2  if you are snared in the words of your mouth,
caught in the words of your mouth,
3  then do this, my son, and save yourself,
for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
go, hasten,t and plead urgently with your neighbor.
4  Give your eyes no sleep
and your eyelids no slumber;
5  save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,t
like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6  Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
7  Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
8  she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.
9  How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise 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 want like an armed man.

12  A worthless person, a wicked man,
goes about with crooked speech,
13  winks with his eyes, signalst with his feet,
points with his finger,
14  with perverted heart devises evil,
continually sowing discord;
15  therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

16  There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17  haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18  a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
19  a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.

Warnings Against Adultery

20  My son, keep your father's commandment,
and forsake not your mother's teaching.
21  Bind them on your heart always;
tie them around your neck.
22  When you walk, theyt will lead you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.
23  For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24  to preserve you from the evil woman,t
from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.t
25  Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
26  for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread,t
but a married womant hunts down a precious life.
27  Can a man carry fire next to his chest
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;
none who touches her will go unpunished.
30  People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
31  but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold;
he will give all the goods of his house.
32  He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
33  He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34  For jealousy makes a man furious,
and he will not spare when he takes revenge.
35  He will accept no compensation;
he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

Proverbs 6

1 My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor, If thou hast stricken thy hands for 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, Seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbor: Go, humble thyself, and importune thy neighbor;

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 chief, Overseer, or ruler,

8 Provideth her bread 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 a robber, And thy want as an armed man.

12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity, Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth;

13 That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet, That maketh signs with his fingers;

14 In whose heart is perverseness, Who deviseth evil continually, Who 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 Jehovah 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 purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief,

19 A false witness that uttereth lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.

20 My son, keep the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the law 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 sleepest, it shall watch over 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 foreigner’s tongue.

25 Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26 For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread; And 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 neighbor’s wife; Whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished.

30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal To satisfy himself when he is hungry:

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

32 He that committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: He doeth it who would destroy his own soul.

33 Wounds and dishonor 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.