1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger,
1My son, if you have been surety for your neighbor, or have struck your hand for the stranger,
2if you have been trapped by the words of your lips,
ensnared by the words of your mouth,
2or have been lured by the words of your mouth, captured 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,a
and press your plea with your neighbor.
3then you must do this my son, and deliver yourself, for you have come into the palm of your neighbor: Go humble yourself, and press your neighbor.
4Allow no sleep to your eyes
or slumber to your eyelids.
4You should not give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids—
5Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,a
like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
5snatch yourself like a gazelle from the hand, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker;
observe its ways and become wise.
6Go to the ant, O sluggish one; see her ways and become wise:
7Without a commander,
without an overseer or ruler,
7Which there is not unto her a chief, an official, or ruler,
8it prepares its provisions in summer;
it gathers its food at harvest.
8she prepares her bread in summer, she has gathered her food in the harvest.
9How long will you lie there, O slacker?
When will you get up from your sleep?
9Until when, O sluggish one, will you slumber? When will you rise from your sleep?
10A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down,
11and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and need like a bandit.
11and your poverty comes like one walking, and your need like a man of shield.
12A worthless person, a wicked man,
walks with a perverse mouth,
12A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, is walking with crookedness of mouth,
13winking his eyes, speaking with his feet,
and pointing with his fingers.
13winking with his eyes, speaking with his foot, pointing with his fingers,
14With deceit in his heart he devises evil;
he continually sows discord.
14with perversity in his heart, plotting evil; at every time he sends forth strife.
15Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.
15Upon thus his calamity shall come suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered, and without healing.
16There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
16These six things YHWH hates, and seven are an abomination to His soul:
17haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
17Eyes raised high, a tongue of falsehood, and hands pouring out innocent blood,
18a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that run swiftly to evil,
18a heart devising plans of iniquity, feet hurrying to run toward evil,
19a false witness who gives false testimony,
and one who stirs up discord among brothers.
19one breathing out lies, a witness of falsehood, and one sending forth contentions between brothers.
20My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
20Keep, my son, the command of your father, and do not forsake the instruction of your mother.
21Bind them always upon your heart;
tie them around your neck.
21Bind them upon your heart continually; 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.
22In your going about, it will lead you; in your lying down, it will guard you; when you awake, it will speak with you.
23For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,
23For the command is a lamp, and the instruction 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.a
24to guard you from the woman of evil, from the smoothness of the tongue of a strange woman.
25Do not lust in your heart for her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes.a
25Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her take hold of you with her eyelids.
26For the levy of the prostitute is poverty,a
and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
26For the price of a woman prostitute is as a crust of bread, and the woman of a man hunts a precious soul.
27Can a man embrace fire
and his clothes not be burned?
27Can a man seize fire in his bosom, and his garments not be burned?
28Can a man walk on hot coals
without scorching his feet?
28Or can a man walk upon the hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
29So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;
no one who touches her will go unpunished.
29So is the one coming in to the wife of his neighbor; anyone who touches her shall not be innocent.
30Men do not despise the thief
if he steals to satisfy his hunger.
30They do not despise the thief if he steals to fill his soul when he is hungry,
31Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold;
he must give up all the wealth of his house.
31and having been found, he must repay sevenfold; all the wealth of his house he must give.
32He who commits adultery lacks judgment;
whoever does so destroys himself.
32The one committing adultery with a woman is lacking of heart; he does it, destroying his own soul.
33Wounds and dishonor will befall him,
and his reproach will never be wiped away.
33He finds only a stroke and shame, and his reproach is not wiped away.
34For jealousy enrages a husband,
and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.
34For jealousy is the heat of a man, and he will not spare on the day of vengeance.
35He will not be appeased by any ransom,
or persuaded by lavish gifts.
35He will not lift the face of any ransom, and he will not consent, though you may multiply the bribe.