Proverbs 6 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 6
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1 My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger— My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,
2 if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said— if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth.
3 follow 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. then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion— and give your neighbor no rest!
4 Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do. Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.
5 Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net. save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
7 Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
8 they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
12 What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars, A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, A troublemaker and a villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13 signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers. winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers,
14 Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble. with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; who plots evil with deceit in his heart— he always stirs up conflict.
15 But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing. therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.
16 There are six things the LORD hates— no, seven things he detests: There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family. a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
20 My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck.
22 When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.
23 For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life,
24 It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman. to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. keeping you from your neighbor’s wife, from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.
25 Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coy glances seduce you. Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
26 For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life. for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life. For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another man’s wife preys on your very life.
27 Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire? Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?
28 Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?
29 So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished. So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished. So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving. People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31 But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house. but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
32 But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself. He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself.
33 He will be wounded and disgraced. His shame will never be erased. He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away.
34 For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation, nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size. He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts. He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.
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