New American Standard Bible 1995

New Living Translation

1My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, Have given a pledge for a stranger,

1My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—

2If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, Have been caught with the words of your mouth,

2if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—

3Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor.

3follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased.

4Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids;

4Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.

5Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter's hand And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

5Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.

6Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise,

6Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!

7Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler,

7Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work,

8Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.

8they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.

9How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?

9But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?

10"A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest "--

10A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—

11Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man.

11then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

12A worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth,

12What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars,

13Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers;

13signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.

14Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, Who spreads strife.

14Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble.

15Therefore his calamity will come suddenly; Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing.

15But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.

16There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:

16There are six things the LORD hates— no, seven things he detests:

17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,

17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent,

18A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil,

18a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong,

19A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.

19a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.

20My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother;

20My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.

21Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck.

21Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck.

22When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you.

22When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you.

23For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life

23For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life.

24To keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

24It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.

25Do not desire her beauty in your heart, Nor let her capture you with her eyelids.

25Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.

26For on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread, And an adulteress hunts for the precious life.

26For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.

27Can a man take fire in his bosom And his clothes not be burned?

27Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire?

28Or can a man walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched?

28Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet?

29So is the one who goes in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever touches her will not go unpunished.

29So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished.

30Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry;

30Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving.

31But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house.

31But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house.

32The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it.

32But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself.

33Wounds and disgrace he will find, And his reproach will not be blotted out.

33He will be wounded and disgraced. His shame will never be erased.

34For jealousy enrages a man, And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

34For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

35He will not accept any ransom, Nor will he be satisfied though you give many gifts.

35He will accept no compensation, nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.