1 My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, if you have shaken hands in pledge with a stranger,

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

2 you have been trapped by the words of your mouth, caught by the words of your mouth.

Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

3 So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have come into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your case with your neighbor.

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

4 Do not allow sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.

Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

5 Free yourself like a gazelle from the trap, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7 She has no commander, no overseer or ruler,

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 yet she prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provisions at harvest.

Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

11 and poverty will come upon you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

12 A worthless person, a man of wickedness, walks with a corrupt mouth,

A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

13 winking with his eyes, signaling with his feet, pointing with his fingers.

He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

14 He plots evil with deceit in his heart; he constantly stirs up dissension.

Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

15 Therefore his disaster will come suddenly; in an instant, he will be broken beyond healing.

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:

These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,

An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19 a false witness who pours out lies, and one who stirs up conflict among brothers.

A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

20 My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

21 Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.

Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you wake, they will speak to you.

When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23 For the commandment is a lamp, the teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life.

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24 They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.

To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her captivate you with her eyes.

Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26 For a prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, but the wife of another man hunts a precious life.

For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

28 Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?

Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

29 So is he who sleeps with another man's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.

So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.

Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay back sevenfold; he may have to give up all the wealth of his house.

But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

32 But a man who commits adultery has no sense; he destroys himself.

But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

33 He will suffer wounds and disgrace, and his shame will never be wiped away.

A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34 For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.

For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35 He will not accept any ransom, nor will he be appeased, no matter how great the gift you offer.

He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.