[1] MY son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
[2] Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
[3] Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
[4] Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
[5] Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
[6] ¶ Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
[7] Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
[8] Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
[9] How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
[10] Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
[11] So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
[12] ¶ A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
[13] He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
[14] Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
[15] Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
[16] ¶ These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
[17] A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
[18] An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
[19] A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
[20] ¶ My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
[21] Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
[22] When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
[23] For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
[24] To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
[25] Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
[26] For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
[27] Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
[28] Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
[29] So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
[30] Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
[31] But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
[32] But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
[33] A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
[34] For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
[35] He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
