THE
PROVERBS
Proverbs 6 ©
An admonition to beware of suretyship, verse 1, etc. Of idleness, with a disgracing of the sluggard by the example of the ants, 6. To beware of the nature and gestures of a naughty man, 12. Six, yea seven things which God hates, 16. The duty of children in respect of the good instruction of their parents, with fair promises, 20. Especially that they shall be preserved from whorish, adulteress women, who are described by their hurtful and mischievous fruits, namely, their own unhappy end and the unhappy end of those who cleave or adhere unto them, 24. The comparing of theft with adultery, 30.
MY1 son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken 2thy hand 3with a stranger,
4Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art takena with the words of thy mouth.
Do this now, my son, and 5deliver thyself, when thou art come 6into the hand of thy friend; go, 7humble thyself, and 8make sure thy friend.
9Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
10Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.b
¶Go to the ant, thou sluggard;c consider her 11ways, and be wise:
Which having no guide, 12overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her 13meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?d when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Yet 14a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
So shall thy poverty come 15as one that travelleth, and thy want 16as an armed man.
¶ A 17naughtye person, 18a wicked man, walketh with a 19froward mouth.
He 20winketh with 21his eyes, he 22speaketh with his feet, he 23teacheth with his fingers;
24Frowardness is in his heart, he 25deviseth mischief continually; he 26soweth discord.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken 27without remedy.
¶These 28six things doth the LORD hate: yea, 29seven are an abomination unto 30him:
Af31proud look, a 32lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
An heart that deviseth 33wicked imaginations, 34feetg that be swift in running to mischief,
35A false witness that 36speaketh lies, and he that 37soweth discord among brethren.
¶My son, keeph thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
38Bind them continually upon thine heart,iand tie them about thy neck.
When thou goest, 39itj shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk 40with thee.
Fork41the commandment is a 42lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of 43instruction are the 44way of life:
To keep thee from the 45evil woman, from the 46flatteryl of the tongue of a 47strange woman.
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her takem thee 48with her eyelids.
For by means of a 49whorish woman a man is brought to 50a piece of bread: and 51the adulteress will 52hunt for the precious life.
53Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
Can one go upon 54hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
55So he that goeth in 56to his neighbour's wife; whosoever 57toucheth her shall not be 58innocent.
59Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his 60soul when he is hungry;
But if he be found, he shall restore 61sevenfold;n he shall give 62all the substance of his house.
But whoso committeth adultery with a woman 63lacketh understanding: he 64that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not 65be wiped away.
For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will 66not spare 67in the day of vengeance.
68He will not regard any 69ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou 70givest many gifts.