Warnings against Foolishness

1My son, if you have been surety for your neighbor,

or have struck your hand for the stranger,

2or have been lured by the words of your mouth,

captured by the words of your mouth,

3then you must do this my son, and deliver yourself,

for you have come into the palm of your neighbor:

Go humble yourself,†

and press your neighbor.

4You should not give sleep to your eyes

or slumber to your eyelids—

5snatch yourself like a gazelle from the hand,†

and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6Go to the ant, O sluggish one;

see her ways and become wise:

7Which there is not unto her a chief,

an official, or ruler,

8she prepares her bread in summer,

she has gathered her food in the harvest.

9Until when, O sluggish one, will you slumber?

When will you rise from your sleep?

10A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to lie down,

11and your poverty comes like one walking,

and your need like a man of shield.

12A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity,

is walking with crookedness of mouth,

13winking with his eyes, speaking with his foot,

pointing with his fingers,

14with perversity in his heart, plotting evil;

at every time he sends forth strife.

15Upon thus his calamity shall come suddenly;

in an instant he will be shattered, and without healing.

16These six things YHWH hates, and seven are an abomination to His soul:

17Eyes raised high,

a tongue of falsehood,

and hands pouring out innocent blood,

18a heart devising plans of iniquity,

feet hurrying to run toward evil,

19one breathing out lies, a witness of falsehood,

and one sending forth contentions between brothers.

Warnings against Adultery

20Keep, my son, the command of your father,

and do not forsake the instruction of your mother.

21Bind them upon your heart continually;

tie them around your neck.

22In your going about, it will lead you;

in your lying down, it will guard you;

when you awake, it will speak with you.

23For the command is a lamp, and the instruction a light,

and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,

24to guard you from the woman of evil,

from the smoothness of the tongue of a strange woman.†

25Do not desire her beauty in your heart,

and do not let her take hold of you with her eyelids.†

26For the price of a prostitute makes one as a crust of bread,†

and the adulteress hunts a precious soul.

27Can a man seize fire in his bosom,

and his garments not be burned?

28Or can a man walk upon the hot coals,

and his feet not be scorched?

29So is the one coming in to the wife of his neighbor;

anyone touching her shall not be innocent.

30They do not despise the thief

if he steals to fill his soul when he is hungry,

31and having been found, he must repay sevenfold;

all the wealth of his house he must give.

32The one committing adultery with a woman is lacking of heart;

he does it, destroying his own soul.

33He finds only a stroke and shame,

and his reproach is not wiped away.

34For jealousy is the heat of a man,

and he will not spare on the day of vengeance.

35He will not lift the face of any ransom,

and he will not consent, though you may multiply the bribe.