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

My son, if you have put yourself as a trust for what your neighbor owes to another, or if you have made a promise for a stranger,

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

you have been trapped with the words of your lips. You have been caught with the words of your 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 get yourself out of trouble, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go without pride and beg your neighbor to let you go.

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

Do not let your eyes sleep. Do not let your eyes close.

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

Take yourself away like a deer from the man who kills animals, and like a bird from the hand of the man who catches birds.

6 ¶ Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise,

Go to the ant, O lazy person. Watch and think about her ways, and be wise.

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

She has no leader, head or ruler,

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

but she gets her food ready in the summer, and gathers her food at the right time.

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

How long will you lie down, O lazy person? When will you rise up from your sleep?

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

A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands to rest,

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

and being poor will come upon you like a robber, and your need like a man ready to fight.

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

A person of no worth, a sinful man, is he who goes about telling lies.

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

He winks with his eyes, makes signs with his feet, and makes certain moves with his fingers.

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

He always plans to do sinful things because of his sinful heart. He causes arguing among people.

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

So trouble will come upon him all at once. Right then he will be broken, and there will be no healing.

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

There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven that are hated by Him:

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

A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that kill those who are without guilt,

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

a heart that makes sinful plans, feet that run fast to sin,

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

a person who tells lies about someone else, and one who starts fights among brothers.

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

My son, keep the teaching of your father, and do not turn away from the teaching of your mother.

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

Hold them always to your heart. Tie them around your 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.

They will lead you when you walk. They will watch over you when you sleep, and they will talk with you when you wake up.

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

For the word is a lamp. The teaching is a light, and strong words that punish are the way of life.

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

They keep you from the sinful woman, from the smooth tongue of a sinful woman.

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

Do not desire her beauty in your heart. Do not let her catch you with her eyes.

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 because of a woman who sells the use of her body, one is brought down to a loaf of bread. A sinful woman hunts to take a man’s very life.

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

Can a man carry fire in his arms, and his clothes not be burned?

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

Can a man walk on hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

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

So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will be punished.

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

Men do not hate a robber who steals food for 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 is caught, he must pay seven times what he took. He must give up all the things in 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 who does sex sins with a woman does not think well. He who does it is destroying himself.

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

He will be hurt and ashamed, and his shame will not be taken away.

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

Jealousy makes a man angry. He will show no pity for the wrong that was done to him.

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

He will not take pay, and he will not be happy even if you give him many gifts.