1 M y son, if you become surety for your friend, If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

2 Y ou are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth.

thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

3 S o do this, my son, and deliver yourself; For you have come into the hand of your friend: Go and humble yourself; Plead with your friend.

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

4 G ive no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids.

Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

5 D eliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler. The Folly of Indolence

Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 G o to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7 W hich, having no captain, Overseer or ruler,

which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 P rovides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.

provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

9 H ow long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?

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

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

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

11 S o shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man. The Wicked Man

so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

12 A worthless person, a wicked man, Walks with a perverse mouth;

A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

13 H e winks with his eyes, He shuffles his feet, He points with his fingers;

He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

14 P erversity is in his heart, He devises evil continually, He sows discord.

frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

15 T herefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

16 T hese six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,

a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,

an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. Beware of Adultery

a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

20 M y son, keep your father’s command, And do not forsake the law of your mother.

My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

21 B ind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck.

bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

22 W hen you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you.

When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23 F or the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24 T o keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress.

to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25 D o not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.

Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26 F or by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.

For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

27 C an a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

28 C an one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared?

Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

29 S o is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.

So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

30 P eople do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.

Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

31 Y et when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house.

but if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

32 W hoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul.

But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

33 W ounds and dishonor he will get, And his reproach will not be wiped away.

A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34 F or jealousy is a husband’s fury; Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35 H e will accept no recompense, Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.

He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.