1My son, If thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast struck thy hand for a stranger;

2If thou art ensnared through the words of thy mouth, if thou art caught through the words of thy mouth:

3[Then] do this by all means, my son, and deliver thyself, because thou art come into the power of thy friend, Go hasten to him, and urge thy friend.

4Grant not any sleep to thy eyes, nor slumber to thy eyelids.

5Deliver thyself as a roebuck from the hand [of the hunter], and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6Go to the ant, thou sluggard; look on her ways, and become wise.

7She, that hath no prince, officer, or ruler,

8Provideth in the summer her provision, gathereth in harvest-time her food.

9How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie down? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10“A little [more] sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in lying down;”

11But then will thy poverty come like a rover, and thy want as a man armed with a shield.

12A Godless person is a man of injustice, who walketh with a distorted mouth.

13He blinketh with his eyes, he scrapeth with his feet, he pointeth with his fingers;

14Perverseness is in his heart, he contriveth evil at all times; he scattereth abroad discord.

15Therefore shall suddenly come his calamity: unawares shalt he be broken without a remedy.

16Six things there are which the Lord hateth; and seven are an abomination unto his spirit:

17Haughty eyes, a tongue of falsehood, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18A heart that contriveth plans of injustice, feet that hasten to run after evil,

19A false witness that eagerly uttereth lies, and him that scattereth abroad discord among brethren.

20Keep, O my son, the commandment of thy father, and reject not the teaching of thy mother:

21Bind them upon thy heart continually, tie them about thy throat.

22When thou walkest, it shall lead thee; when thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou art awake, it shall converse with thee.

23For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and the way of life are the admonitions of correction:

24To guard thee against a bad woman, from the flattery of an alien tongue.

25Covet not her beauty in thy heart, and let her not conquer thee with her eyelids.

26For by means of a harlot [one is brought down] to the last loaf of bread: and an adulterous woman will even hunt for the precious life,

27Can a man gather up fire in his lap, and shall his clothes not be burnt?

28Can a man walk along upon hot coals, and shall his feet not be burnt?

29So it is with him that goeth in to his neighbor's wife: no one that toucheth her shall remain unpunished.

30Men do not despise the thief, if he steal, to gratify his craving when he is hungry:

31And if he be found, he must pay sevenfold; all the wealth his house must he give.

32But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh sense: he that is the destroyer of his soul, will alone do this.

33Plague and disgrace will he meet with; and his reproach will not be blotted out.

34For jealousy is the fury of a husband, and he will not spare on the day of vengeance.

35He will not regard the appearance of any ransom; and he will not be content, though thou give ever so many bribes.