1 ¶ My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor, If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger;

2 t hou art snared with the words of thy mouth; thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

3 D o this now, my son, and deliver thyself, for thou hast fallen into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

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 G ive not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

Give not sleep to thine eyes, Nor slumber to thine eyelids;

5 E scape as a roe from the hand of the hunter and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

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,

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; Consider her ways, and be wise:

7 W ho having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

Which having no chief, Overseer, or ruler,

8 p rovides her food in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest.

Provideth her bread in the summer, And gathereth her food in the harvest.

9 H ow long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10 Y et a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep:

11 S o shall thy poverty come as one that travels and thy want as an armed man.

So shall thy poverty come as a robber, And thy want as an armed man.

12 ¶ A wicked man of Belial walks with a perverse mouth.

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

13 H e winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers;

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

14 t here is perversion in his heart; he devises evil continually; he sows discord.

In whose heart is perverseness, Who deviseth evil continually, Who soweth discord.

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

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

16 T hese six things does the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

There are six things which Jehovah hateth; Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him:

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

Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood;

18 a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to evil,

A heart that deviseth wicked purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief,

19 a false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.

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

20 ¶ My son, keep thy father’s commandment and forsake not the law of thy mother:

My son, keep the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:

21 B ind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy neck.

Bind them continually upon thy heart; Tie them about thy neck.

22 W hen thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

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 F or the commandment is fire, and the law is light; and reproofs of chastening are the way of life,

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; And reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24 t o keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

To keep thee from the evil woman, From the flattery of the foreigner's tongue.

25 L ust not after her beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eyes.

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

26 F or by means of a whorish woman a man is reduced to a piece of bread, and the woman will hunt the precious soul of the man.

For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread; And the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.

27 C an a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned?

Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?

28 C an one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

Or can one walk upon hot coals, And his feet not be scorched?

29 S o is he that goes in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever touches her shall not be innocent.

So he that goeth in to his neighbor's wife; Whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished.

30 M en do not take a thief lightly, even if he steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

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

31 a nd once he is taken, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

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

32 B ut whosoever commits adultery with a woman has a fault in his heart; he that does it corrupts his own soul.

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

33 A wound and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall never be wiped away.

Wounds and dishonor shall he get; And his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34 F or the jealous rage of a man will not spare in the day of vengeance.

For jealousy is the rage of a man; And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35 H e will not regard any ransom; neither will he want to forgive, though thou givest many bribes.

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