Against Pledges

•  My child, if you have pledged to your neighbor,
  • if you have bound yourself[fn] to the stranger,
• 2 if you are snared by the sayings of your mouth,
  • if you are caught by the sayings of your mouth,
• 3 do this, then, my child, and save yourself,
  • for you have come into the palm of your neighbor’s hand :[fn]
  • Go, humble yourself, plead with your neighbor.
• 4 Do not give sleep to your eyes,
  • or slumber to your eyelids.
• 5 Save yourself like a gazelle from a hand,
  • or like a bird from the hand of a fowler.
    

Against Sloth

• 6 Go to the ant, lazy!
  • Consider its ways and be wise.
• 7 It has no chief,
  • officer, or ruler.
• 8 In the summer, it prepares its food;
  • in the harvest, it gathers its sustenance.
• 9 How long will you lie down, lazy?
  • When will you rise up from your sleep?
• 10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
  • a little folding of the hands for rest—
• 11 like a robber[fn] shall your poverty come,
  • and what you lack like an armed man.
    

Against Worthlessness

• 12 A worthless man, an evil man,
  • goes around with deceitful speech .[fn]
• 13 Winking in his eye, shuffling in his foot,
  • pointing in his fingers,
• 14 perversion in his heart, he devises evil;
  • at all times he will send out discord.[fn]
• 15 Upon such a man ,[fn] suddenly shall his calamity come;
  • in a moment he will be damaged and there is no healing.[fn]
    

What Yahweh Hates

• 16 There are six things Yahweh hates,
  • and seven things are abominations of his soul:[fn]
• 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
  • and hands that shed innocent blood,
• 18 a devising heart, plans of deception,
  • feet that hurry to run to evil,[fn]
• 19 a false witness who breathes lies
  • and sends out discord[fn] between brothers.
    

Commandment and Instruction as Guardians

• 20 My child, keep the commandment of your father,
  • and do not disregard the instruction of your mother.
• 21 Bind them on your heart continually;
  • tie them upon your neck.
• 22 When you walk ,[fn] she[fn] will lead you,
  • When you lie down ,[fn] she will watch over you,
  • and when you awake, she will converse with you.
• 23 For like a lamp is a commandment, and instruction is light,
  • and the way of life[fn] is the reproof of discipline,
• 24 in order to preserve you from an evil woman,[fn]
  • from the smoothness of the tongue of an adulteress .[fn]
• 25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart;
  • may she not capture you with her eyelashes.
• 26 For the price of a woman, a prostitute,[fn] is the price of a loaf of bread,
  • but the woman belonging to a man[fn] hunts precious life.
    

Warning Against Relations with a Married Woman

• 27 Can a man carry fire in his lap,
  • and his clothes not burn?
• 28 If a man walks upon the hot coals,
  • will his feet not be burned?
• 29 Thus, he who goes to the wife of his neighbor,
  • any who touches her shall not go unpunished.
• 30 People do not despise a thief when he steals
  • to fill himself[fn] when he is hungry.
• 31 But if he is found, he will pay sevenfold,
  • every possession of his house he shall give.
• 32 He who commits adultery with a woman lacks sense ,[fn]
  • he destroys himself[fn] who does it.
• 33 A wound and dishonor he will find,
  • and his disgrace will not be wiped out.
• 34 For jealousy is the fury of a husband,
  • and he will not show restraint on the day of revenge.
• 35 He will not accept any compensation ,[fn]
  • and he will not be willing, though the bribe is large.