| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, | 1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor or entered into an agreement with a stranger, |
| 2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. | 2you have been trapped by the words of your lips-- ensnared by the words of your mouth. |
| 3Do 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. | 3Do this, then, my son, and free yourself, for you have put yourself in your neighbor's power: Go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor. |
| 4Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. | 4Don't give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. |
| 5Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. | 5Escape like a gazelle from a hunter, like a bird from a fowler's trap. |
| 6Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: | 6Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. |
| 7Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, | 7Without leader, administrator, or ruler, |
| 8Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. | 8it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest. |
| 9How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? | 9How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? |
| 10Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: | 10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, |
| 11So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. | 11and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit. |
| 12A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. | 12A worthless person, a wicked man goes around speaking dishonestly, |
| 13He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; | 13winking his eyes, signaling with his feet, and gesturing with his fingers. |
| 14Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. | 14He always plots evil with perversity in his heart-- he stirs up trouble. |
| 15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. | 15Therefore calamity will strike him suddenly; he will be shattered instantly--beyond recovery. |
| 16These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: | 16The LORD hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to Him: |
| 17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, | 17arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, |
| 18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, | 18a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil, |
| 19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. | 19a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among brothers. |
| 20My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: | 20My son, keep your father's command, and don't reject your mother's teaching. |
| 21Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. | 21Always bind them to your heart; tie them around your neck. |
| 22When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. | 22When you walk here and there, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you. |
| 23For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: | 23For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life. |
| 24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. | 24They will protect you from an evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a stranger. |
| 25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. | 25Don't lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyelashes. |
| 26For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. | 26For a prostitute's fee is only a loaf of bread, but an adulteress goes after a precious life. |
| 27Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? | 27Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned? |
| 28Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? | 28Can a man walk on burning coals without scorching his feet? |
| 29So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. | 29So it is with the one who sleeps with another man's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. |
| 30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; | 30People don't despise the thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry. |
| 31But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. | 31Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much; he must give up all the wealth in his house. |
| 32But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. | 32The one who commits adultery lacks sense; whoever does so destroys himself. |
| 33A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. | 33He will get a beating and dishonor, and his disgrace will never be removed. |
| 34For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. | 34For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. |
| 35He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts. | 35He will not be appeased by anything or be persuaded by lavish gifts. |
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