1 M y son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, Have given a pledge for a stranger,

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

2 I f you have been snared with the words of your mouth, Have been caught with the words of your mouth,

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

3 D o this then, my son, and deliver yourself; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor.

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

4 G ive no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids;

Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

5 D eliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand And like 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 G o to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise,

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

7 W hich, having no chief, Officer or ruler,

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 P repares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.

Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

9 H ow long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?

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

10 “ A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest”—

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

11 Y our poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man.

So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

12 A worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth,

A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

13 W ho winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers;

He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

14 W ho with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, Who spreads strife.

Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

15 T herefore his calamity will come suddenly; Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing.

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

16 T here are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:

These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17 H aughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,

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

18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil,

An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.

A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

20 M y son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother;

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

21 B ind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck.

Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

22 W hen you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you.

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

23 F or the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline 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 you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25 D o not desire her beauty in your heart, Nor let her capture you with her eyelids.

Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26 F or on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread, And an adulteress hunts for the precious life.

For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt 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 O r can a man walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched?

Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

29 S o is the one who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her will not go unpunished.

So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

30 M en do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry;

Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

31 B ut when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must 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 T he one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it.

But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

33 W ounds and disgrace he will find, And his reproach will not be blotted out.

A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34 F or jealousy enrages a man, And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

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

35 H e will not accept any ransom, Nor will he be satisfied though you give many gifts.

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