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

My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger;

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

You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared 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 deliver yourself, since you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.

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

Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

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

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

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

Go to the ant, you 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.

provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

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

How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

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

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 your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

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

A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth;

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

who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;

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

in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

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

Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, 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 Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

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

haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;

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

a heart that devises wicked schemes, 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 who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

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

My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.

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

Bind them continually on 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.

When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

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. 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 you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

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

Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you 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 a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

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

Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

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

Or can one walk on 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 is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will 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 don’t despise a thief, if he steals 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 is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth 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 who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

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

He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

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

For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t 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 won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.