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

My son, if you have become security for your neighbor, if you have given your pledge for a stranger or another,

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

You are snared with the words of your lips, you are caught by the speech of your 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,

Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself when you have put yourself into the power of your neighbor; go, bestir and humble yourself, and beg your neighbor.

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

Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids;

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

Deliver yourself, as a roe or gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

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

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise!—

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

Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

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

Provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest.

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

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

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

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down and sleep—

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

So will your poverty come like a robber or one who travels and your want like an armed man.

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

A worthless person, a wicked man, is he who goes about with a perverse (contrary, wayward) mouth.

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

He winks with his eyes, he speaks by shuffling or tapping with his feet, he makes signs and teaches with his fingers.

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

Willful and contrary in his heart, he devises trouble, vexation, and evil continually; he lets loose discord and sows it.

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

Therefore upon him shall the crushing weight of calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

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

These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him:

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

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

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

A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil,

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

A false witness who breathes out lies, and he who sows discord among his brethren.

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

My son, keep your father’s commandment and forsake not the law of your mother.

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

Bind them continually upon your heart and tie them about your 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.

When you go, they shall lead you; when you sleep, they shall keep you; and when you waken, they shall talk with you.

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

For the commandment is a lamp, and the whole teaching is light, and reproofs of discipline are the way of life,

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

To keep you from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a loose woman.

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

Lust not after her beauty in your heart, neither let her capture you with her eyelids.

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

For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread, and the adulteress stalks and snares the precious life.

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

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

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

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

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

So he who cohabits with his neighbor’s wife; he who touches her shall not be innocent or go unpunished.

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

Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry;

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

But if he is found out, he must restore seven times; he must give the whole substance of his house.

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

But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks heart and understanding (moral principle and prudence); he who does it is destroying his own life.

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

Wounds and disgrace will he get, and his reproach will not be wiped away.

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

For jealousy makes man furious; therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

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

He will not consider any ransom; neither will he be satisfied, though you offer him many gifts and bribes.