The Proverbs

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 6 -

Warning against suretyship

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger,

if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,

then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself,(a) and press your plea with your neighbor.

Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,(b) like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

Warning against laziness

Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.

Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler,

it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.

How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

Warning against falsehood

A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,

winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers.

With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.

Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.

Prevention of seven sins

There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:

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

a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,

a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.

Prevention against adultery

My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.

When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.

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

to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.(c)

Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.(d)

For the levy of the prostitute is poverty,(e) and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?

Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?

So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.

Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.

Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.

He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.

For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.

He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish gifts.

Footnotes

(a)6:3 Or hasten

(b)6:5 Hebrew does not include of the hunter.

(d)6:25 Or eyelids or eyelashes

(e)6:26 Literally a crust of bread

Warning against suretyship

My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,

you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.

Do 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.

Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

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

Warning against laziness

Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

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

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

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—

so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

Warning against falsehood

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

who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers,

in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

Prevention of seven sins

There are six things which the LORD hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

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

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

Prevention against adultery

My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.

Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

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

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

Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

Men don’t despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,

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

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

He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.

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