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The Proverbs

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

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- Chapter 6 -

Warning against suretyship

1
My son! If you have been guarantor for your friend, || Have struck your hand for a stranger,
2
Have been snared with sayings of your mouth, || Have been captured with sayings of your mouth,
3
Do this now, my son, and be delivered, || For you have come into the hand of your friend. Go, trample on yourself, and strengthen your friend,
4
Do not give sleep to your eyes, || And slumber to your eyelids,
5
Be delivered as a roe from the hand, || And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.

Warning against laziness

6
Go to the ant, O slothful one, || See her ways and be wise;
7
Which has no captain, overseer, and ruler,
8
She prepares her bread in summer, || She has gathered her food in harvest.
9
Until when, O slothful one, do you lie? When do you arise from your sleep?
10
A little sleep, a little slumber, || A little clasping of the hands to rest,
11
And your poverty has come as a traveler, || And your want as an armed man.

Warning against falsehood

12
A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, || Walking [with] perverseness of mouth,
13
Winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, || Directing with his fingers,
14
Contrariness [is] in his heart, devising evil at all times, || He sends forth contentions.
15
Therefore his calamity comes suddenly, || He is broken instantly—and no healing.

Prevention of seven sins

16
These six has YHWH hated, || Indeed, seven [are] abominations to His soul:
17
High eyes, || False tongues, || And hands shedding innocent blood,
18
A heart devising thoughts of vanity, || Feet hastening to run to evil,
19
A false witness [who] breathes out lies, || And one sending forth contentions between brothers.

Prevention against adultery

20
Keep, my son, the command of your father, || And do not leave the law of your mother.
21
Bind them on your heart continually, || Tie them on your neck.
22
In your going up and down, it leads you, || In your lying down, it watches over you, || And you have awoken—it talks [with] you.
23
For the command [is] a lamp, || And the Law a light, || And a way of life [are] reproofs of instruction,
24
To preserve you from an evil woman, || From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25
Do not desire her beauty in your heart, || And do not let her take you with her eyelids.
26
For a harlot consumes to a cake of bread, || And an adulteress hunts the precious soul.
27
Does a man take fire into his bosom, || And are his garments not burned?
28
Does a man walk on the hot coals, || And are his feet not scorched?
29
So [is] he who has gone in to the wife of his neighbor, || None who touches her is innocent.
30
They do not despise the thief, || When he steals to fill his soul when he is hungry,
31
And being found he repays sevenfold, || He gives all the substance of his house.
32
He who commits adultery [with] a woman lacks heart, || He who does it is destroying his soul.
33
He finds a stroke and shame, || And his reproach is not wiped away,
34
For jealousy [is] the fury of a man, || And he does not spare in a day of vengeance.
35
He does not accept the appearance of any atonement, || Indeed, he does not consent, || Though you multiply bribes!
Copyright © 2020 Covenant Press and the CCC - licensed under CC BY-SA

Warning against suretyship

1
My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,
2
you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
3
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.
4
Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
5
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

Warning against laziness

6
Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;
7
which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8
provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
9
How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?
10
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—
11
so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

Warning against falsehood

12
A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,
13
who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers,
14
in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
15
Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

Prevention of seven sins

16
There are six things which the LORD hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
17
arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18
a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19
a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

Prevention against adultery

20
My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
21
Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.
22
When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.
23
For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24
to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.
25
Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
26
For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
27
Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?
28
Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
29
So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.
30
Men don’t despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,
31
but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.
32
He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
33
He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.
34
For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.
35
He won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
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