Proverbs

Warnings against Foolishness

1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger,

2if you have been trapped by the words of your lips,ensnared by the words of your mouth,

3then do this, my son, to free yourself,for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:Go, humble yourself,and press your plea with your neighbor.

4Allow no sleep to your eyesor slumber to your eyelids.

5Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

6Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker;observe its ways and become wise.

7Without a commander,without an overseer or ruler,

8it prepares its provisions in summer;it gathers its food at harvest.

9How long will you lie there, O slacker?When will you get up from your sleep?

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

11and poverty will come upon you like a robber,and need like a bandit.

12A worthless person, a wicked man,walks with a perverse mouth,

13winking his eyes, speaking with his feet,and pointing with his fingers.

14With deceit in his heart he devises evil;he continually sows discord.

15Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.

16There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:

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

18a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,

19a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.

Warnings against Adultery

20My son, keep your father’s commandment,and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

21Bind them always upon your heart;tie them around your neck.

22When you walk, they will guide you;when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.

23For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light,and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,

24to keep you from the evil woman,from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

25Do not lust in your heart for her beautyor let her captivate you with her eyes.

26For the levy of the prostitute is poverty,and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

27Can a man embrace fireand his clothes not be burned?

28Can a man walk on hot coalswithout scorching his feet?

29So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;no one who touches her will go unpunished.

30Men do not despise the thiefif he steals to satisfy his hunger.

31Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold;he must give up all the wealth of his house.

32He who commits adultery lacks judgment;whoever does so destroys himself.

33Wounds and dishonor will befall him,and his reproach will never be wiped away.

34For jealousy enrages a husband,and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.

35He will not be appeased by any ransom,or persuaded by lavish gifts.

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.