| 1 | My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another, |
| 2 | You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you. |
| 3 | Do this, my son, and make yourself free, because you have come into the power of your neighbour; go without waiting, and make a strong request to your neighbour. |
| 4 | Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them; |
| 5 | Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her. |
| 6 | Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise: |
| 7 | Having no chief, overseer, or ruler, |
| 8 | She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting. |
| 9 | How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep? |
| 10 | A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep: |
| 11 | Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man |
| 12 | A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words; |
| 13 | Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers; |
| 14 | His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts. |
| 15 | For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him. |
| 16 | Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him: |
| 17 | Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause; |
| 18 | A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin; |
| 19 | A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers. |
| 20 | My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother: |
| 21 | Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck. |
| 22 | In your walking, it will be your guide; when you are sleeping, it will keep watch over you; when you are awake, it will have talk with you. |
| 23 | For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life. |
| 24 | They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman. |
| 25 | Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner. |
| 26 | For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life. |
| 27 | May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing? |
| 28 | Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned? |
| 29 | So it is with him who goes in to his neighbour's wife; he who has anything to do with her will not go free from punishment. |
| 30 | Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it: |
| 31 | But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house. |
| 32 | He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul. |
| 33 | Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away. |
| 34 | For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy. |
| 35 | He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased. |
