Proverbs 6

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

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

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

5 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, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:⋮

7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,⋮

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

22 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; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:⋮

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

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

26 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 take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?⋮

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

29 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 steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;⋮

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

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

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

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

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