Pro 6 | ABEn | STEP | O son, if you should guarantee a loan for your friend, you shall deliver up your hand to the enemy.

Proverbs 6

CHAPTER 6 Surety for Fools

1 O son, if you should guarantee a loan for your friend, you shall deliver up your hand to the enemy. 2 [⁶snare ¹For ⁵are a strong ²a man's ³own ⁴lips], and he is captured by the words of his own mouth. 3 Do, O son, what I give charge to you, and preserve yourself! [⁵you come ¹For ⁶into ⁷the hands ⁸of evils ²on account of ³your ⁴friend]. Be not enfeebled! but you provoke even your friend whom you guaranteed a loan.

Laziness

4 You should not give sleep to your eyes nor slumber to your eyelids, 5 so that you should escape as a doe from nooses, and as a fowl from out of a snare. 6 Be as the ant, O lazy one, and be jealous beholding his ways; and become as that one -- wiser! 7 For to that one there is no farm possession, nor [²one compelling him ¹is he having], nor [²under ³a master ¹is he being]. 8 He prepares [³of summer ¹the ²nourishment], [³much ¹and also ⁴in ⁵the ⁶harvest ²he prepares] for the fete. 9 For how long, O lazy one, do you recline? And when [²from out of ³sleep ¹will you arise]? 10 A little then to sleep, and a little you sit down, and a little you slumber, and a little you fold your arms with hands to the breasts. 11 So then [²comes upon ³you ⁴as ⁵an evil ⁶traveler ¹poverty]; and lack as a good runner.

Attributes of a Fool

12 A man, a fool and a lawbreaker, shall go by ways not good. 13 And the same beckons with the eyes, and makes signs with the foot, and teaches with the beckoning of his fingers. 14 [³being perverted ¹And ²a heart] contrives evils; at all time such a one [²disturbances ¹concocts] to a city. 15 On account of this [³suddenly ²comes ¹his destruction]; severance and [²destruction ¹irretrievable]. 16 For he rejoices in all things which [³detests ¹the ² lord]; and he is destroyed because of uncleanness of soul -- 17 [²eye ¹an insulting], [²tongue ¹an unjust], hands pouring out [²blood ¹righteous], 18 and a heart contriving [²devices ¹evil], and feet hurrying to do evil. 19 [³kindles ⁴lying ²witness ¹An unjust], and brings in addition judicial cases between brethren.

Guard Parental Advice

20 O son, guard the laws of your father! and you should not thrust away the rules of your mother. 21 But affix them upon your soul always, and bind them with a cord around your neck! 22 When ever you should walk, bring it, and [²with ³you ¹let it be]! And when ever you should sleep, let it guard you! that in arising it should converse together with you. 23 For [³is a lamp ¹the commandment ²of the law], and a light, and a way of life, and reproof, and instruction;

Guard from Adultery

24 to guard you from [²woman ¹a married], and from the distraction [²tongue ¹of a strange]. 25 O son, let not [³overcome you ²of beauty ¹the desire], nor [³be caught ¹your ²eyes] nor seized by her eyelids. 26 For the value of a harlot is as much as even one bread loaf; and a woman [⁴of men ²the precious ³souls ¹ensnares]. 27 Shall anyone tie up fire in his bosom, and his garments not incinerate? 28 Or shall anyone walk upon coals of fire, and his feet shall not incinerate. 29 So the one entering to [²woman ¹a married]; he shall not be acquitted, nor any one touching her. 30 It is not a wonder if any be captured stealing; for he steals that he should fill up his soul when hungering; 31 but if he should be captured he shall pay seven-fold, and [⁴all ⁵his possessions ³by giving ¹shall rescue ²himself]. 32 But the adulterer, through lack of sense, [²destruction ³for his soul ¹procures]. 33 Both griefs and dishonor he suffers, and his scorn shall not be wiped away into the eon. 34 [⁴is full ¹For ⁵of zeal ²the rage ³of her husband]; he will not spare in the day of judgment. 35 He will not bargain for any ransom of his hatred, nor part by many gifts.