Warnings against Foolishness

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

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

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

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

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

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

7Which no leader to her, scribe and ruler;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warnings against Adultery

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

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

22In thy going about it shall lead thee; in thy lying down it shall watch over thee; and awaking, it shall speak to thee.

23For the command is a lamp, and the law a light; and the way of life the reproof of instruction:

24To watch thee from the woman of evil, from the smoothness of the strange tongue.

25Thou shalt not desire her beauty in thy heart, and she shall not take thee with her eyelashes.

26For by a woman a harlot, even to a round of bread: and a man's wife will hunt the precious soul.

27A man taking fire in his bosom, shall his garments not be burnt?

28If a man shall go upon burning coals shall his feet not be burnt?

29So he going in to his neighbor's wife; all touching upon her shall not be innocent.

30They will not despise a thief if he shall steal to fill up his soul; for he will be hungry.

31And being found he shall recompense seven fold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

32He committing adultery with a woman lacked a heart: destroying his soul he will do it.

33A blow and contempt shall he find; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34For jealousy is the wrath of man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35He will not lift up the face of any ransom, and he will not be willing if thou shalt increase the reward.