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

²⁶ Be not one of those who give their hands in an agreement, or of those who make themselves responsible for debts:

¹⁸ A man without sense gives his hand in an agreement, and makes himself responsible before his neighbour.

¹⁵ He who makes himself responsible for a strange man will undergo much loss; but the hater of such undertakings will be safe.

¹⁶ Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men.

³ Be pleased, now, to be responsible for me to yourself; for there is no other who will put his hand in mine.

²² By so much is it a better agreement which we have through Jesus.

¹⁸ If he has done you any wrong or is in debt to you for anything, put it to my account.

¹⁹ I, Paul, writing this myself, say, I will make payment to you: and I do not say to you that you are in debt to me even for your life.

¹³ Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men.

³² For I made myself responsible for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

³³ So now let me be my lord's servant here in place of the boy, and let him go back with his brothers.

⁹ Truly, if we had not let the time go by, we might have come back again by now.