Proverbs 6
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Proverbs 6
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| My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor, If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger; | My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another, |
| Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. | You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you. |
| Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, Seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbor: Go, humble thyself, and importune thy neighbor; | Do this, my son, and make yourself free, because you have come into the power of your neighbour; go without waiting, and make a strong request to your neighbour. |
| Give not sleep to thine eyes, Nor slumber to thine eyelids; | Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them; |
| Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand [of the hunter], And as a bird from the hand of the fowler. | Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her. |
| Go to the ant, thou sluggard; Consider her ways, and be wise: | Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise: |
| Which having no chief, Overseer, or ruler, | Having no chief, overseer, or ruler, |
| Provideth her bread in the summer, And gathereth her food in the harvest. | She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting. |
| How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? | How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep? |
| [Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep: | A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep: |
| So shall thy poverty come as a robber, And thy want as an armed man. | Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man |
| A worthless person, a man of iniquity, Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth; | A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words; |
| That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet, That maketh signs with his fingers; | Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers; |
| In whose heart is perverseness, Who deviseth evil continually, Who soweth discord. | His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts. |
| Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy. | For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him. |
| There are six things which Jehovah hateth; Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him: | Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him: |
| Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood; | Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause; |
| A heart that deviseth wicked purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief, | A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin; |
| A false witness that uttereth lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren. | A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers. |
| My son, keep the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: | My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother: |
| Bind them continually upon thy heart; Tie them about thy neck. | Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck. |
| When thou walkest, it shall lead thee; When thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee; And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. | In your walking, it will be your guide; when you are sleeping, it will keep watch over you; when you are awake, it will have talk with you. |
| For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; And reproofs of instruction are the way of life: | For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life. |
| To keep thee from the evil woman, From the flattery of the foreigner's tongue. | They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman. |
| Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; Neither let her take thee with her eyelids. | Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner. |
| For on account of a harlot [a man is brought] to a piece of bread; And the adulteress hunteth for the precious life. | For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life. |
| Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? | May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing? |
| Or can one walk upon hot coals, And his feet not be scorched? | Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned? |
| So he that goeth in to his neighbor's wife; Whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished. | So it is with him who goes in to his neighbour's wife; he who has anything to do with her will not go free from punishment. |
| Men do not despise a thief, if he steal To satisfy himself when he is hungry: | Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it: |
| But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; He shall give all the substance of his house. | But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house. |
| He that committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: He doeth it who would destroy his own soul. | He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul. |
| Wounds and dishonor shall he get; And his reproach shall not be wiped away. | Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away. |
| For jealousy is the rage of a man; And he will not spare in the day of vengeance. | For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy. |
| He will not regard any ransom; Neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts. | He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased. |
