Old Testament · Poetry and wisdom

Proverbs chapter 6

My son, if you’ve for your neighbor’s debt, if you’ve to guarantee a stranger’s loan,if your own words have trapped you, if you’ve been caught by what you promised —then do this, my son, and get yourself out of it, because you’ve handed yourself over to your neighbor: Go, , and plead urgently with your neighbor.Don’t let your eyes sleep, don’t let your eyelids rest.Free yourself like a from a hunter’s hand, like a bird from a .Go watch the ant, you — study how it lives and learn to be wise.It has no commander, no overseer, no ruler,yet it stores up its food during summer and gathers its supplies at harvest.How long are you going to lie there, lazy person? When are you going to get up from your sleep?“Just a little more sleep, a little more rest, a little more folding of the hands to relax” —and poverty will come at you like a , and need like an .A , a wicked man, goes around with a ,winking with his eyes, signaling with his feet, pointing with his fingers.With a he’s always scheming up trouble, constantly stirring up .Because of this, disaster will hit him suddenly — in an instant he’ll be shattered beyond repair.There are six things despises, seven that are to him:, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,a wicked schemes, feet that race to do evil,a false witness who , and anyone who stirs up conflict between .My son, keep your father’s , and don’t abandon your mother’s . at all times; hang them around your neck.When you walk, they’ll guide you; when you lie down, they’ll watch over you; and when you wake up, they’ll talk with you.Because the instruction is a , the teaching is a light, and are the .They’ll protect you from the , from the of the unfaithful wife.Don’t desire her beauty in your heart; don’t let her capture you with her eyelashes.Because a prostitute will cost you a , but another man’s wife will hunt for your .Can a man carry fire against his chest without his clothes catching fire?Can a man walk on hot coals without burning his feet?That’s what happens to a man who sleeps with his neighbor’s wife — no one who touches her will go unpunished.People don’t look down on a thief who steals to fill his stomach when he’s starving.But if he’s caught, he’ll pay back — he’ll have to give up everything in his house.But a man who commits adultery — whoever does it destroys himself.He’ll get wounds and , and his disgrace will never be wiped away.Because fuels a husband’s rage, and he’ll show no mercy when he takes revenge.He won’t accept any ; he’ll refuse it no matter how large the .