Proverbs 6

Financial Entanglements

6My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor ^q

or entered into an agreement with ^ra stranger, ^st

²you have been trapped by the words of your lips ^u—

ensnared by the words of your mouth.

³Do this, then, my son, and free yourself,

for you have put yourself in your neighbor’s power:

Go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor.

⁴Don’t give sleep to your eyes

or slumber to your eyelids. ^v

⁵Escape like a gazelle from a hunter, ^w

like a bird from a fowler’s trap. ^xy

Laziness

⁶Go to the ant, ^zyou slacker! ^a

Observe its ways and become wise.

⁷Without leader, administrator, or ruler,

⁸it prepares its provisions in summer;

it gathers its food during harvest. ^b

⁹How long will you stay in bed, you slacker?

When will you get up from your sleep?

¹⁰A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the arms to rest, ^c

¹¹and your poverty will come like a robber,

your need, like a bandit. ^d

The Malicious Man

¹²A worthless person, ^ea wicked man

goes around speaking dishonestly, ^f

¹³winking ^ghis eyes, signaling with his feet,

and gesturing with his fingers.

¹⁴He always plots evil ^hwith perversity in his heart—

he stirs up trouble. ⁱ

¹⁵Therefore calamity will strike him suddenly;

he will be shattered instantly—beyond recovery. ^j

What the Lord Hates

¹⁶The Lord hates six things;

in fact, seven are detestable to Him:

¹⁷arrogant eyes, ^ka lying tongue, ^l

hands that shed innocent blood, ^m

¹⁸a heart that plots wicked schemes, ⁿ

feet eager to run to evil, ^o

¹⁹a lying witness who gives false testimony, ^p

and one who stirs up trouble among brothers. ^q

Warning against Adultery

²⁰My son, keep your father’s command,

and don’t reject your mother’s teaching. ^r

²¹Always bind them to your heart;

tie them around your neck. ^s

²²When you walk here and there, they will guide you;

when you lie down, they will watch over you;

when you wake up, they will talk to you.

²³For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, ^t

and corrective discipline is the way to life. ^u

²⁴They will protect you from an evil woman, ^v

from the flattering ^wtongue of a stranger. ^x

²⁵Don’t lust in your heart for her beauty ^y

or let her captivate you with her eyelashes. ^z

²⁶For a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread, ^a

but an adulteress ^bgoes after a precious life. ^c

²⁷Can a man embrace fire ^d

and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Can a man walk on burning coals

without scorching his feet?

²⁹So it is with the one who sleeps with

another man’s wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished. ^e

³⁰People don’t despise the thief if he steals

to satisfy himself when he is hungry. ^f

³¹Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much; ^g

he must give up all the wealth in his house.

³²The one who commits adultery ^hlacks sense;

whoever does so destroys himself. ⁱ

³³He will get a beating ^jand dishonor,

and his disgrace will never be removed.

³⁴For jealousy enrages a husband, ^k

and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

³⁵He will not be appeased by anything

or be persuaded by lavish gifts.