Proverbs

6 My son, if you have put up security* for your neighbor,+

If you have given your handshake* to a stranger,+

 2 If you have been ensnared by your promise,

Caught by the words of your mouth,+

 3 Do this, my son, and free yourself,

For you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor:

 4 Do not allow your eyes to sleep,

Nor your eyelids to slumber.

 5 Free yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand,

Like a bird from the hand of the birdcatcher.

 6 Go to the ant, you lazy one;+

Observe its ways and become wise.

 7 Although it has no commander, officer, or ruler,

 8 It prepares its food in the summer,+

And it gathers its food supplies in the harvest.

10 A little sleep, a little slumbering,

A little folding of the hands to rest,+

11 And your poverty will come like a bandit,

And your want like an armed man.+

12 A useless and wicked man walks about with crooked speech;+

13 He winks with his eye,+ signals with his foot, and motions with his fingers.

14 With a perverted heart,

He is always scheming evil+ and spreading contentions.+

15 Therefore, his disaster will come suddenly;

In a moment he will be broken beyond healing.+

16 There are six things that Jehovah hates;

Yes, seven things that he* detests:

17 Haughty eyes,+ a lying tongue,+ and hands that shed innocent blood,+

18 A heart plotting wicked schemes,+ and feet that run quickly to evil,

19 A false witness who lies with every breath,+

And anyone sowing contentions among brothers.+

20 Observe, my son, the commandment of your father,

And do not forsake the instruction* of your mother.+

21 Always bind them around your heart;

Tie them about your neck.

22 When you walk about, it will lead you;

When you lie down, it will stand guard over you;

And when you awaken, it will speak to you.*

23 For the commandment is a lamp,+

And the law is a light,+

And the reproofs of discipline are the way to life.+

24 They will guard you against the bad woman,+

Against the seductive tongue of the immoral* woman.+

25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart+

Or allow her to captivate you with her alluring eyes,

26 For because of a prostitute, a man is reduced to a loaf of bread,+

But the wife of another man preys on a precious life.*

29 It is the same with anyone having relations with his neighbor’s wife;

No one who touches her will go unpunished.+

30 People do not despise a thief

If he steals to satisfy himself* when he is hungry.

31 Yet, when found, he will repay sevenfold;

He will give up all the valuables of his house.+

32 Anyone committing adultery with a woman is lacking good sense;*

The one who does so brings ruin on himself.*+

33 He will get only wounds and dishonor,+

And his disgrace will not be wiped away.+

34 For jealousy makes a husband furious;

He will show no compassion when he takes revenge.+

35 He will accept no compensation;*

He will not be appeased, no matter how large you make the gift.