Proverbs 6

1My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger.

2Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.

3Do therefore, my son, what I say, and deliver thyself: because thou art fallen into the hand of thy neighbour. Run about, make haste, stir up thy friend:

4Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.

5Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:

7Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,

8Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

9How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?

10Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:

11And want shall come upon thee, as a traveller, and poverty as a man armed. But if thou be diligent, thy harvest shall come as a fountain, and want shall flee far from thee.

12A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,

13He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.

14With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.

15To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.

16Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:

17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

18A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,

19A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.

20My son, beep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.

21Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.

22When thou walkest, let them go with thee: when thou sleepest, let them keep thee; and when thou awakest, talk with them.

23Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.

25Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:

26For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.

27Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?

28Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?

29So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.

30The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:

31And if he be taken he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.

32But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:

33He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:

34Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,

35Nor will he yield to any man’s prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.

1[Fili mi, si spoponderis pro amico tuo, defixisti apud extraneum manum tuam:

2illaqueatus es verbis oris tui, et captus propriis sermonibus.

3Fac ergo quod dico, fili mi, et temetipsum libera, quia incidisti in manum proximi tui. Discurre, festina, suscita amicum tuum.

4Ne dederis somnum oculis tuis, nec dormitent palpebræ tuæ.

5Eruere quasi damula de manu, et quasi avis de manu aucupis.]

6[Vade ad formicam, o piger, et considera vias ejus, et disce sapientiam.

7Quæ cum non habeat ducem, nec præceptorem, nec principem,

8parat in æstate cibum sibi, et congregat in messe quod comedat.

9Usquequo, piger, dormies? quando consurges e somno tuo?

10Paululum dormies, paululum dormitabis, paululum conseres manus ut dormias;

11et veniet tibi quasi viator egestas, et pauperies quasi vir armatus. Si vero impiger fueris, veniet ut fons messis tua, et egestas longe fugiet a te.]

12[Homo apostata, vir inutilis, graditur ore perverso;

13annuit oculis, terit pede, digito loquitur,

14pravo corde machinatur malum, et omni tempore jurgia seminat.

15Huic extemplo veniet perditio sua, et subito conteretur, nec habebit ultra medicinam.]

16[Sex sunt quæ odit Dominus, et septimum detestatur anima ejus:

17oculos sublimes, linguam mendacem, manus effundentes innoxium sanguinem,

18cor machinans cogitationes pessimas, pedes veloces ad currendum in malum,

19proferentem mendacia testem fallacem, et eum qui seminat inter fratres discordias.]

20[Conserva, fili mi, præcepta patris tui, et ne dimittas legem matris tuæ.

21Liga ea in corde tuo jugiter, et circumda gutturi tuo.

22Cum ambulaveris, gradiantur tecum; cum dormieris, custodiant te: et evigilans loquere cum eis.

23Quia mandatum lucerna est, et lex lux, et via vitæ increpatio disciplinæ:

24ut custodiant te a muliere mala, et a blanda lingua extraneæ.

25Non concupiscat pulchritudinem ejus cor tuum, nec capiaris nutibus illius:

26pretium enim scorti vix est unius panis, mulier autem viri pretiosam animam capit.

27Numquid potest homo abscondere ignem in sinu suo, ut vestimenta illius non ardeant?

28aut ambulare super prunas, ut non comburantur plantæ ejus?

29sic qui ingreditur ad mulierem proximi sui, non erit mundus cum tetigerit eam.

30Non grandis est culpa cum quis furatus fuerit: furatur enim ut esurientem impleat animam;

31deprehensus quoque reddet septuplum, et omnem substantiam domus suæ tradet.

32Qui autem adulter est, propter cordis inopiam perdet animam suam;

33turpitudinem et ignominiam congregat sibi, et opprobrium illius non delebitur:

34quia zelus et furor viri non parcet in die vindictæ,

35nec acquiescet cujusquam precibus, nec suscipiet pro redemptione dona plurima.]

1My son, if you have taken a pledge on behalf of your friend, then you have bound your hand to an outsider,

2then you are ensnared by the words of your own mouth, and taken captive by your own words.

3Therefore, my son, do what I say, and free yourself, for you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor. Run, hurry, awaken your friend.

4Do not grant sleep to your eyes, nor let your eyelids slumber.

5Rescue yourself like a gazelle from the hand, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6Go to the ant, you lazy one, and consider her ways, and so learn wisdom.

7For though she has no ruler, nor instructor, nor leader,

8she provides meals for herself in the summer, and she gathers at the harvest what she may eat.

9How long will you slumber, you lazy one? When will you rise up from your sleep?

10You will sleep a little, you will slumber a little, you will fold your hands a little to sleep,

11and then destitution will meet with you, like a traveler, and poverty, like an armed man. Yet truly, if you would be diligent, then your harvest will arrive like a fountain, and destitution will flee far from you.

12An apostate man, a harmful man, walks with a perverse mouth;

13he winks with the eyes, touches with the foot, speaks with the finger.

14With a depraved heart he devises evil, and at all times he sows conflict.

15To this one, his perdition will arrive promptly, and he shall be crushed suddenly: he will no longer have any remedy.

16Six things there are that the Lord hates, and the seventh, his soul detests:

17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

18a heart that devises the most wicked thoughts, feet running swiftly unto evil,

19a deceitful witness bringing forth lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

20My son, preserve the precepts of your father, and do not dismiss the law of your mother.

21Bind them to your heart unceasingly, and encircle them around your throat.

22When you walk, let them keep step with you. When you sleep, let them guard you. And when you keep watch, speak with them.

23For commandment is a lamp, and law is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.

24So may they guard you from an evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the outsider.

25Let not your heart desire her beauty; do not be captivated by her winks.

26For the price of a prostitute is only one loaf. Yet the woman seizes the precious soul of a man.

27Would a man be able to conceal fire in his bosom, so that his garments would not burn?

28Or could he walk over burning coals, so that his feet would not be burned?

29So also, he who enters to the wife of his neighbor shall not be clean when he touches her.

30Not so great is the fault when someone has stolen. For he steals so as to satisfy a hungry soul.

31Also, if he is apprehended, he shall repay sevenfold and hand over all the substance of his house.

32But whoever is an adulterer, because of the emptiness of his heart, will destroy his own soul.

33He gathers shame and dishonor to himself, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.

34For the jealousy and fury of the husband will not spare him on the day of vindication,

35nor will he agree to the pleadings of anyone, nor will he accept, as repayment, a multitude of gifts.