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

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

^{3 Ref} Do 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.

^{4 Ref} Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;

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

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

^{7 Ref} Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

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

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

^{10 Ref} A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:

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

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

^{13 Ref} Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;

^{14 Ref} His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.

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

^{16 Ref} Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:

^{17 Ref} Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause;

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

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

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

^{21 Ref} Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.

^{22 Ref} In 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.

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

^{24 Ref} They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.

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

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

^{27 Ref} May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?

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

^{29 Ref} So 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.

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

^{31 Ref} But 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.

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

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

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

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

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

^{2 Ref} Hast been snared with sayings of thy mouth, Hast been captured with sayings of thy mouth,

^{3 Ref} 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 Ref} Give not sleep to thine eyes, And slumber to thine eyelids,

^{5 Ref} Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.

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

^{7 Ref} Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler,

^{8 Ref} She doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food.

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

^{10 Ref} A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,

^{11 Ref} And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.

^{12 Ref} A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, Walking `with' perverseness of mouth,

^{13 Ref} Winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, Directing with his fingers,

^{14 Ref} Frowardness `is' in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth.

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

^{16 Ref} These six hath Jehovah hated, Yea, seven `are' abominations to His soul.

^{17 Ref} Eyes high -- tongues false -- And hands shedding innocent blood --

^{18 Ref} A heart devising thoughts of vanity -- Feet hasting to run to evil --

^{19 Ref} A false witness `who' doth breathe out lies -- And one sending forth contentions between brethren.

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

^{21 Ref} Bind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on thy neck.

^{22 Ref} 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 Ref} For a lamp `is' the command, And the law a light, And a way of life `are' reproofs of instruction,

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

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

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

^{27 Ref} 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 Ref} So `is' he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent.

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

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

^{32 Ref} He who committeth adultery `with' a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it.

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

^{34 Ref} For jealousy `is' the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance.

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

^{1 Ref} My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, If you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger;

^{2 Ref} You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth.

^{3 Ref} Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, Seeing you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.

^{4 Ref} Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids.

^{5 Ref} Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, Like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

^{6 Ref} Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

^{7 Ref} Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

^{8 Ref} Provides her bread in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.

^{9 Ref} How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

^{10 Ref} A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep:

^{11 Ref} So your poverty will come as a robber, And your scarcity as an armed man.

^{12 Ref} A worthless person, a man of iniquity, Is he who walks with a perverse mouth;

^{13 Ref} Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who motions with his fingers;

^{14 Ref} In whose heart is perverseness, Who devises evil continually, Who always sows discord.

^{15 Ref} Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

^{16 Ref} There are six things which Yahweh hates; Yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

^{17 Ref} Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood;

^{18 Ref} A heart that devises wicked schemes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief,

^{19 Ref} A false witness who utters lies, And he who sows discord among brothers.

^{20 Ref} My son, keep your father's commandment, And don't forsake your mother's teaching.

^{21 Ref} Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

^{22 Ref} When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

^{23 Ref} For the commandment is a lamp, And the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

^{24 Ref} To keep you from the immoral woman, From the flattery of the wayward wife's tongue.

^{25 Ref} Don't lust after her beauty in your heart, Neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

^{26 Ref} For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

^{27 Ref} 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 Ref} So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

^{30 Ref} Men don't despise a thief, If he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:

^{31 Ref} But if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.

^{32 Ref} He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

^{33 Ref} He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

^{34 Ref} For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won't spare in the day of vengeance.

^{35 Ref} He won't regard any ransom, Neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.