1 M y son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand,

2 H ast been snared with sayings of thy mouth, Hast been captured with sayings of thy mouth,

3 D o this now, my son, and be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and strengthen thy friend,

4 G ive not sleep to thine eyes, And slumber to thine eyelids,

5 B e delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.

6 G o unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise;

7 W hich hath not captain, overseer, and ruler,

8 S he doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food.

9 T ill when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,

11 A nd thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.

12 A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, Walking perverseness of mouth,

13 W inking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, Directing with his fingers,

14 F rowardness in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth.

15 T herefore suddenly cometh his calamity, Instantly he is broken -- and no healing.

16 T hese six hath Jehovah hated, Yea, seven abominations to His soul.

17 E yes high -- tongues false -- And hands shedding innocent blood --

18 A heart devising thoughts of vanity -- Feet hasting to run to evil --

19 A false witness doth breathe out lies -- And one sending forth contentions between brethren.

20 K eep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother.

21 B ind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on thy neck.

22 I n thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked -- it talketh thee.

23 F or a lamp the command, And the law a light, And a way of life reproofs of instruction,

24 T o preserve thee from an evil woman, From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25 D esire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids.

26 F or a harlot consumeth unto a cake of bread, And an adulteress the precious soul hunteth.

27 D oth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt?

28 D oth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched?

29 S o he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent.

30 T hey do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry,

31 A nd being found he repayeth sevenfold, All the substance of his house he giveth.

32 H e who committeth adultery a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it.

33 A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away,

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

35 H e accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes!