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v1
My child, if you have pledged to your neighbor, if you have bound yourself ^[Literally “palms of your hands”] to the stranger,
v2
if you are snared by the sayings of your mouth, if you are caught by the sayings of your mouth,
v3
do this, then, my child, and save yourself, for you have come into the palm of your neighbor’s hand: ^[Literally “the palm of the hand of your neighbor”] Go, humble yourself, plead with your neighbor.
v4
Do not give sleep to your eyes, or slumber to your eyelids.
v5
Save yourself like a gazelle from a hand, or like a bird from the hand of a fowler.
v6
Go to the ant, lazy! Consider its ways and be wise.
v7
It has no chief, officer, or ruler.
v8
In the summer, it prepares its food; in the harvest, it gathers its sustenance.
v9
How long will you lie down, lazy? When will you rise up from your sleep?
v10
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands for rest—
v11
like a robber ^[Literally “one who walks,” that is, a vagabond] shall your poverty come, and what you lack like an armed man.
v12
A worthless man, an evil man, goes around with deceitful speech. ^[Literally “crookedness of mouth”]
v13
Winking in his eye, shuffling in his foot, pointing in his fingers,
v14
perversion in his heart, he devises evil; at all times he will send out discord. ^[Or “quarrels”]
v15
Upon such a man, ^[Literally “thus”] suddenly shall his calamity come; in a moment he will be damaged and there is no healing. ^[Or “repair”]
v16
There are six things Yahweh hates, and seven things are abominations of his soul: ^[Or “inner self”]
v17
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
v18
a devising heart, plans of deception, feet that hurry to run to evil, ^[Hebrew “the evil”]
v19
a false witness who breathes lies and sends out discord ^[Or “quarrels”] between brothers.
v20
My child, keep the commandment of your father, and do not disregard the instruction of your mother.
v21
Bind them on your heart continually; tie them upon your neck.
v22
When you walk, ^[Literally “In your walking”] she ^[That is, “commandment” and “instruction”] will lead you, When you lie down, ^[Literally “In your lying down”] she will watch over you, and when you awake, she will converse with you.
v23
For like a lamp is a commandment, and instruction is light, and the way of life ^[Hebrew “lives”] is the reproof of discipline,
v24
in order to preserve you from an evil woman, ^[Or “wife”] from the smoothness of the tongue of an adulteress. ^[Literally “a foreign woman”]
v25
Do not desire her beauty in your heart; may she not capture you with her eyelashes.
v26
For the price of a woman, a prostitute, ^[Or “whore”] is the price of a loaf of bread, but the woman belonging to a man ^[Literally “the woman of a man”] hunts precious life.
v27
Can a man carry fire in his lap, and his clothes not burn?
v28
If a man walks upon the hot coals, will his feet not be burned?
v29
Thus, he who goes to the wife of his neighbor, any who touches her shall not go unpunished.
v30
People do not despise a thief when he steals to fill himself ^[Or “soul,” or “inner self”] when he is hungry.
v31
But if he is found, he will pay sevenfold, every possession of his house he shall give.
v32
He who commits adultery with a woman lacks sense, ^[Literally “heart”] he destroys himself ^[Or “his soul,” or “his life”] who does it.
v33
A wound and dishonor he will find, and his disgrace will not be wiped out.
v34
For jealousy is the fury of a husband, and he will not show restraint on the day of revenge.
v35
He will not accept any compensation, ^[Literally “the face of any compensation”] and he will not be willing, though the bribe is large.