1 My sonne, if thou be surety for thy neighbour, and hast striken hands with the stranger, 2 Thou art snared with the wordes of thy mouth: thou art euen taken with the woordes of thine owne mouth. 3 Doe this nowe, my sonne, and deliuer thy selfe: seeing thou art come into the hande of thy neighbour, goe, and humble thy selfe, and sollicite thy friends. 4 Giue no sleepe to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. 5 Deliuer thy selfe as a doe from the hande of the hunter, and as a birde from the hande of the fouler. 6 Goe to the pismire, O sluggarde: beholde her waies, and be wise. 7 For shee hauing no guide, gouernour, nor ruler, 8 Prepareth her meat in the sommer, and gathereth her foode in haruest. 9 Howe long wilt thou sleepe, O sluggarde? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe? 10 Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the hands to sleepe. 11 Therefore thy pouertie commeth as one that trauaileth by the way, and thy necessitie like an armed man. 12 The vnthriftie man and the wicked man walketh with a froward mouth. 13 He maketh a signe with his eyes: he signifieth with his feete: he instructeth with his fingers. 14 Lewde things are in his heart: he imagineth euill at all times, and raiseth vp contentions. 15 Therefore shall his destruction come speedily: hee shall be destroyed suddenly without recouerie. 16 These sixe things doeth the Lord hate: yea, his soule abhorreth seuen: 17 The hautie eyes, a lying tongue, and the hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that imagineth wicked enterprises, feete that be swift in running to mischiefe, 19 A false witnesse that speaketh lyes, and him that rayseth vp contentions among brethren. 20 My sonne, keepe thy fathers commandement, and forsake not thy mothers instruction. 21 Binde them alway vpon thine heart, and tye them about thy necke. 22 It shall leade thee, when thou walkest: it shall watch for thee, when thou sleepest, and when thou wakest, it shall talke with thee. 23 For the commandement is a lanterne, and instruction a light: and corrections for instruction are the way of life, 24 To keepe thee from the wicked woman, and from ye flatterie of ye tongue of a strange woman. 25 Desire not her beautie in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eye lids. 26 For because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread, and a woman wil hunt for the precious life of a man. 27 Can a man take fire in his bosome, and his clothes not be burnt? 28 Or can a man go vpon coales, and his feete not be burnt? 29 So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife, shall not be innocent, whosoeuer toucheth her. 30 Men do not despise a thiefe, when he stealeth, to satisfie his soule, because he is hungrie. 31 But if he be founde, he shall restore seuen folde, or he shall giue all the substance of his house. 32 But he that committeth adulterie with a woman, he is destitute of vnderstanding: he that doeth it, destroyeth his owne soule. 33 He shall finde a wounde and dishonour, and his reproch shall neuer be put away. 34 For ielousie is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35 He cannot beare the sight of any raunsome: neither will he consent, though thou augment the giftes.
More Warnings
1 My child, have you promised to be responsible for someone else's debts? 2 Have you been caught by your own words, trapped by your own promises? 3 Well then, my child, you are in that person's power, but this is how to get out of it: hurry to him, and beg him to release you. 4 Don't let yourself go to sleep or even stop to rest. 5 Get out of the trap like a bird or a deer escaping from a hunter.
6 Lazy people should learn a lesson from the way ants live. 7 They have no leader, chief, or ruler, 8 but they store up their food during the summer, getting ready for winter. 9 How long is the lazy man going to lie around? When is he ever going to get up? 10 “I'll just take a short nap,” he says; “I'll fold my hands and rest a while.” 11 But while he sleeps, poverty will attack him like an armed robber.
12 Worthless, wicked people go around telling lies. 13 They wink and make gestures to deceive you, 14 all the while planning evil in their perverted minds, stirring up trouble everywhere. 15 Because of this, disaster will strike them without warning, and they will be fatally wounded.
16-19 There are seven things that the Lord hates and cannot tolerate:
A proud look,a lying tongue,hands that kill innocent people,a mind that thinks up wicked plans,feet that hurry off to do evil,a witness who tells one lie after another,and someone who stirs up trouble among friends.Warning against Adultery
20 Son, do what your father tells you and never forget what your mother taught you. 21 Keep their words with you always, locked in your heart. 22 Their teaching will lead you when you travel, protect you at night, and advise you during the day. 23 Their instructions are a shining light; their correction can teach you how to live. 24 It can keep you away from bad women, from the seductive words of other men's wives. 25 Don't be tempted by their beauty; don't be trapped by their flirting eyes. 26 A man can hire a prostitute for the price of a loaf of bread, but adultery will cost him all he has.
27 Can you carry fire against your chest without burning your clothes? 28 Can you walk on hot coals without burning your feet? 29 It is just as dangerous to sleep with another man's wife. Whoever does it will suffer. 30 People don't despise a thief if he steals food when he is hungry; 31 yet if he is caught, he must pay back seven times more—he must give up everything he has. 32 But a man who commits adultery doesn't have any sense. He is just destroying himself. 33 He will be dishonored and beaten up; he will be permanently disgraced. 34 A husband is never angrier than when he is jealous; his revenge knows no limits. 35 He will not accept any payment; no amount of gifts will satisfy his anger.