| 1 | My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger. |
| 2 | Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words. |
| 3 | Do therefore, my son, what I say, and deliver thyself: because thou art fallen into the hand of thy neighbour. Run about, make haste, stir up thy friend: |
| 4 | Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber. |
| 5 | Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. |
| 6 | Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom: |
| 7 | Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain, |
| 8 | Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. |
| 9 | How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep? |
| 10 | Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep: |
| 11 | And want shall come upon thee, as a traveller, and poverty as a man armed. But if thou be diligent, thy harvest shall come as a fountain, and want shall flee far from thee. |
| 12 | A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth, |
| 13 | He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger. |
| 14 | With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord. |
| 15 | To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy. |
| 16 | Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth: |
| 17 | Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, |
| 18 | A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief, |
| 19 | A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren. |
| 20 | My son, keep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. |
| 21 | Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck. |
| 22 | When thou walkest, let them go with thee: when thou sleepest, let them keep thee; and when thou awakest, talk with them. |
| 23 | Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: |
| 24 | That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger. |
| 25 | Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks: |
| 26 | For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man. |
| 27 | Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn? |
| 28 | Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt? |
| 29 | So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her. |
| 30 | The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul: |
| 31 | And if he be taken he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house. |
| 32 | But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul: |
| 33 | He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out: |
| 34 | Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge, |
| 35 | Nor will he yield to any man's prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts. |
