Proverbs 6

Parental Counsel

1My son, if you have become a 1guarantor for your neighbor, Or have given a handshake for a stranger,2If you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth, Or caught by the words of your mouth,3Then do this, my son, and save yourself: Since you have come into the 2hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself.4Give no 3sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids;5Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand, And like a 4bird from the hand of the fowler.

6Go to the 5ant, you 67lazy one, Observe its ways and be wise,7Which, having 8no chief, Officer, or ruler,8Prepares its food 9in the summer And gathers its provision in the harvest.9How long will you lie down, you 10lazy one? When will you arise from your sleep?10“11A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to 12rest,”1113Then your poverty will come in like a 14drifter, And your need like 15an armed man.

12A 16worthless person, a wicked man, Is one who walks with a 17perverse mouth,13Who 18winks with his eyes, who 19signals with his feet, Who 20points with his fingers;14Who, with 21perversion in his heart, continually 22devises evil, Who 2324spreads strife.15Therefore 25his disaster will come suddenly; 26Instantly he will be broken and there will be 27no healing.

16There are six things that the Lord hates, Seven that are an abomination 28to Him:1729Haughty eyes, a 30lying tongue, And hands that 31shed innocent blood,18A heart that devises 32wicked plans, 33Feet that run rapidly to evil,19A 34false witness who declares lies, And one who 3536spreads strife among brothers.

2037My son, comply with the commandment of your father, And do not ignore the 38teaching of your mother;2139Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck.22When you 40walk, 41they will guide you; When you sleep, 42they will watch over you; And when you awake, 43they will talk to you.23For 44the commandment is a lamp and the 45teaching is light; And rebukes for discipline are the way of life24To 46keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.2547Do not desire her beauty in your heart, Nor let her capture you with her 48eyelids.26For 49the price of a prostitute reduces one to a loaf of bread, And 50an adulteress 51hunts for a precious life.27Can anyone take fire in his lap And his clothes not be burned?28Or can a person walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched?29So is the one who 52goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her 53will not 54go unpunished.30People do not despise a thief if he steals To 55satisfy 56himself when he is hungry;31But when he is found, he must 57repay seven times as much; He must give up all the property of his house.32One who commits adultery with a woman is 58lacking 59sense; He who would 60destroy 61himself commits it.33He will find wounds and disgrace, And his shame will not be removed.34For 62jealousy 63enrages a man, And he will not have compassion on the 64day of vengeance.35He will not 65accept any settlement, Nor will he be 66satisfied though you make it a large gift.