6
Parental Counsel
1 My son, if you have become
Asurety for your neighbor,
Have
1given a pledge for a stranger,
2 If you have been snared with the words of your mouth,
Have been caught with the words of your mouth,
3 Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself;
Since you have come into the
1hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor.
4 Give no
Asleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;
5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand
And like a
Abird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the
Aant, O
Bsluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having
Ano chief,
Officer or ruler,
8 Prepares her food
Ain the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie down, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 “
AA little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to
1rest”—
11 AYour poverty will come in like a
1vagabond
And your need like
2an armed man.
12 A
Aworthless person, a wicked man,
Is the one who walks with a
Bperverse mouth,
13 Who
Awinks with his eyes, who
1signals with his feet,
Who
2points with his fingers;
14 Who
with Aperversity in his heart continually
Bdevises evil,
15 Therefore
Ahis calamity will come suddenly;
BInstantly he will be broken and there will be
Cno healing.
16 There are six things which the Loʀᴅ hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination
1to Him:
17 AHaughty eyes, a
Blying tongue,
And hands that
Cshed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises
Awicked plans,
BFeet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A
Afalse witness
who utters lies,
And one who
1Bspreads strife among brothers.
20 AMy son, observe the commandment of your father
And do not forsake the
1teaching of your mother;
21 ABind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you
Awalk about,
1they will guide you;
When you sleep,
1they will watch over you;
And when you awake,
1they will talk to you.
23 For
Athe commandment is a lamp and the
1teaching is light;
And reproofs for discipline are the way of life
24 To
Akeep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the
1adulteress.
25 ADo not desire her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her capture you with her
Beyelids.
26 For
Aon account of a harlot
one is reduced to a loaf of bread,
And
1an adulteress
Bhunts for the precious life.
27 Can a man
1take fire in his bosom
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can a man walk on hot coals
And his feet not be scorched?
29 So is the one who
Agoes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her
Bwill not
1go unpunished.
30 1Men do not despise a thief if he steals
To
Asatisfy
2himself when he is hungry;
31 But when he is found, he must
Arepay sevenfold;
He must give all the
1substance of his house.
32 The one who commits adultery with a woman is
Alacking
1sense;
He who would
Bdestroy
2himself does it.
33 Wounds and disgrace he will find,
And his reproach will not be blotted out.
34 For
Ajealousy
1enrages a man,
And he will not spare in the
Bday of vengeance.
35 He will not
1accept any ransom,
Nor will he be
2satisfied though you give many
3gifts.