Proverbs 6:1–22

1  My son, if thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand for a stranger, 2  thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 3  Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, since thou hast come into the hand of thy friend: go, humble thyself, and be urgent with thy friend. 4  Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids: 5  deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6  Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise: 7  which having no chief, overseer, or ruler, 8  provideth her bread in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. 9  How long, sluggard, wilt thou lie down? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest! 11  So shall thy poverty come as a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.

12  A man of Belial, a wicked person, is he that goeth about with a perverse mouth; 13  he winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; 14  deceits are in his heart; he deviseth mischief at all times, he soweth discords. 15  Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly: in a moment shall he be broken, and without remedy. 16  These six things doth Jehovah hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17  haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; 18  a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations; feet that are swift in running to mischief; 19  a false witness that uttereth lies, and he that soweth discords among brethren.

20  My son, observe thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother; 21  bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck: 22  when thou walkest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.