1 M y 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,

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

2 y ou have been trapped with the words of your lips. You 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 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.

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

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

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

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 lazy person. Watch and think about her ways, and be wise.

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

7 S he has no leader, head or ruler,

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 b ut she gets her food ready in the summer, and gathers her food at the right time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13 H e winks with his eyes, makes signs with his feet, and makes certain moves with his fingers.

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

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

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

15 S o trouble will come upon him all at once. Right then 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 that are hated by Him:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

21 H old them always to your heart. Tie them around your neck.

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

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

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 word is a lamp. The teaching is a light, and strong words that punish 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 hey keep you from the sinful woman, from the smooth tongue of a sinful woman.

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. Do not let her catch you with her eyes.

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

26 F or 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.

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

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

28 C an a man walk on hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

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

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

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

30 M en do not hate a robber who steals food for 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 if he is caught, he must pay seven times what he took. He must give up all the things in his house.

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

32 H e who does sex sins with a woman does not think well. He who does it is destroying himself.

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

33 H e will be hurt and ashamed, and his shame will not be taken away.

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

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

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

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

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