Chapter 6

Parental Counsel

1 My son, if you have become asurety for your neighbor,

Have 1given a pledge for a stranger,

2 If you have been snared with the words of your mouth,

Have been caught with the words of your mouth,

3 Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself;

Since you have come into the 1hand of your neighbor,

Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor.

4 Give no asleep to your eyes,

Nor slumber to your eyelids;

5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand

And like a abird from the hand of the fowler.

6 Go to the aant, O bsluggard,

Observe her ways and be wise,

7 Which, having ano chief,

Officer or ruler,

8 Prepares her food ain the summer

And gathers her provision in the harvest.

9 How long will you lie down, O sluggard?

When will you arise from your sleep?

10 “aA little sleep, a little slumber,

A little folding of the hands to 1rest”—

11 aYour poverty will come in like a 1vagabond

And your need like 2an armed man.

12 A aworthless person, a wicked man,

Is the one who walks with a bperverse mouth,

13 Who awinks with his eyes, who 1signals with his feet,

Who 2points with his fingers;

14 Who with aperversity in his heart continually bdevises evil,

Who 1cspreads strife.

15 Therefore ahis calamity will come suddenly;

bInstantly he will be broken and there will be cno healing.

16 There are six things which the Lord hates,

Yes, seven which are an abomination 1to Him:

17 aHaughty eyes, a blying tongue,

And hands that cshed innocent blood,

18 A heart that devises awicked plans,

bFeet that run rapidly to evil,

19 A afalse witness who utters lies,

And one who 1bspreads strife among brothers.

20 aMy son, observe the commandment of your father

And do not forsake the 1teaching of your mother;

21 aBind them continually on your heart;

Tie them around your neck.

22 When you awalk about, 1they will guide you;

When you sleep, 1they will watch over you;

And when you awake, 1they will talk to you.

23 For athe commandment is a lamp and the 1teaching is light;

And reproofs for discipline are the way of life

24 To akeep you from the evil woman,

From the smooth tongue of the 1adulteress.

25 aDo not desire her beauty in your heart,

Nor let her capture you with her beyelids.

26 For aon account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread,

And 1an adulteress bhunts for the precious life.

27 Can a man 1take fire in his bosom

And his clothes not be burned?

28 Or can a man walk on hot coals

And his feet not be scorched?

29 So is the one who agoes in to his neighbor’s wife;

Whoever touches her bwill not 1go unpunished.

30 1Men do not despise a thief if he steals

To asatisfy 2himself when he is hungry;

31 But when he is found, he must arepay sevenfold;

He must give all the 1substance of his house.

32 The one who commits adultery with a woman is alacking 1sense;

He who would bdestroy 2himself does it.

33 Wounds and disgrace he will find,

And his reproach will not be blotted out.

34 For ajealousy 1enrages a man,

And he will not spare in the bday of vengeance.

35 He will not 1accept any ransom,

Nor will he be 2satisfied though you give many 3gifts.