The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 My son, if you have put up security for your friend, if you committed yourself on behalf of another;
1
My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,
2 you have been snared by the words of your mouth, caught by the words of your own mouth.
2
You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.
3 Do this now, my son, and extricate yourself, since you put yourself in your friend's power: go, humble yourself, and pester your friend;
3
Do this, my son, and make yourself free, because you have come into the power of your neighbour; go without waiting, and make a strong request to your neighbour.
4 give your eyes no sleep, give your eyelids no rest;
4
Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;
5 break free, like a gazelle from the [hunter's] trap, like a bird from the grip of the fowler.
5
Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her.
6 Go to the ant, you lazybones! Consider its ways, and be wise.
6
Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:
7 It has no chief, overseer or ruler;
7
Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 yet it provides its food in summer and gathers its supplies at harvest-time.
8
She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.
9 Lazybones! How long will you lie there in bed? When will you get up from your sleep?
9
How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?
10 "I'll just lie here a bit, rest a little longer, just fold my hands for a little more sleep"-
10
A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
11 and poverty comes marching in on you, scarcity hits you like an invading soldier.
11
Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man
12 A scoundrel, a vicious man, lives by crooked speech,
12
A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;
13 winking his eyes, shuffling his feet, pointing with his fingers.
13
Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;
14 With deceit in his heart, he is always plotting evil and sowing discord.
14
His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.
15 Therefore disaster suddenly overcomes him; unexpectedly, he is broken beyond repair.
15
For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.
16 There are six things ADONAI hates, seven which he detests:
16
Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:
17 a haughty look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
17
Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause;
18 a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet swift in running to do evil,
18
A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;
19 a false witness who lies with every breath, and him who sows strife among brothers.
19
A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers.
20 My son, obey your father's command, and don't abandon your mother's teaching.
20
My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:
21 Bind them always on your heart, tie them around your neck.
21
Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.
22 When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you wake up, they will talk with you.
22
In your walking, it will be your guide; when you are sleeping, it will keep watch over you; when you are awake, it will have talk with you.
23 For the mitzvah is a lamp, Torah is light, and reproofs that discipline are the way to life.
23
For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life.
24 They keep you from an evil woman, from a loose woman's seductive tongue.
24
They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.
25 Don't let your heart lust after her beauty or allow her glance to captivate you.
25
Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.
26 The price of a whore is a loaf of bread, but the adulteress is hunting for a precious life.
26
For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life.
27 Can a man carry fire inside his shirt without burning his clothes?
27
May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?
28 Can a man walk [barefoot] on hot coals without scorching his feet?
28
Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So is he who has sex with his neighbor's wife; anyone touching her will be punished.
29
So it is with him who goes in to his neighbour's wife; he who has anything to do with her will not go free from punishment.
30 A thief is not despised if he steals only to satisfy his appetite when hungry;
30
Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:
31 but even he, if caught, must pay back sevenfold; he may have to give up all the wealth that he owns.
31
But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house.
32 He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.
32
He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul.
33 He will get nothing but blows and contempt, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
33
Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.
34 For jealousy drives a man into a rage; he will show no mercy when he takes revenge;
34
For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy.
35 he will not accept compensation; he'll refuse every bribe, no matter how large.
35
He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.