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

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

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

Do 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.

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

Escape 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, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

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

7 w hich having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

Who having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

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

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

9 H ow long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of 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 sleep:

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

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

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

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

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

13 w ho winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;

He winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers;

14 i n whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

there is perversion in his heart; he devises evil continually; he sows discord.

15 T herefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

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

16 T here are six things which Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

These six things does the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17 h aughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;

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

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

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

19 a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

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

20 M y son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.

¶ 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, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with 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 law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

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

24 t o keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

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

25 D on’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

Lust not after her beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eyes.

26 F or a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

For 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.

27 C an a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

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

28 O r can one 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 he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

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

30 M en don’t despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:

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

31 b ut if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.

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

32 H e who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

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

33 H e will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

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

34 F or jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.

For the jealous rage of a man will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35 H e won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.

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