Proverbs 6:1-21 ▼

1 My son, if thou becamest surety for thy friend, thou didst strike thy hands for a stranger;

2 Thou wert snared with the sayings of thy mouth, thou wert taken with the sayings of thy mouth.

3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself when thou camest into the hand of thy friend; go humble thyself and enlarge thy friend.

4 Thou shalt not give sleep to thine eyes, and slumber to thine eyelashes.

5 Deliver thyself as the roe from the hand, and as the bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 Go to the ant, thou slothful one; see her ways, and be wise:

7 Which no leader to her, scribe and ruler;

8 She will prepare in summer her bread, gathering her food in harvest.

9 How long, O slothful one, wilt thou lie down? when wilt thou rise from thy sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down:

11 And thy poverty came as he going, and thy want as a man of the shield.

12 A man of Belial, a man of iniquity, goes with perverseness of mouth.

13 Pinching the eyes, speaking with the feet, teaching with his fingers;

14 Perverseness in his heart, fabricating evil in all time, he will send forth strifes.

15 For this, his destruction shall come suddenly; in a moment he shall be broken, and none healing.

16 These six Jehovah hated, and seven an abomination of his soul:

17 Eyes being lifted up; a tongue of falsehood, and hands shedding innocent blood,

18 A heart fabricating purposes of iniquity; feet being quick to run to evil,

19 A witness of falsehood, breathing out lies, and sending strife between brethren.

20 My son, watch the commands of thy father, and thou shalt not reject the laws of thy mother:

21 Tie them always upon thy heart; bind them upon thy throat.