King James Version KJV
Good News Translation GNT
1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
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My child, have you promised to be responsible for someone else's debts?
2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
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Have you been caught by your own words, trapped by your own promises?
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.
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Well then, my child, you are in that person's power, but this is how to get out of it: hurry to him, and beg him to release you.
4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
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Don't let yourself go to sleep or even stop to rest.
5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
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Get out of the trap like a bird or a deer escaping from a hunter.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
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Lazy people should learn a lesson from the way ants live.
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
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They have no leader, chief, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
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but they store up their food during the summer, getting ready for winter.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
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How long is the lazy man going to lie around? When is he ever going to get up?
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
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"I'll just take a short nap," he says; "I'll fold my hands and rest a while."
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
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But while he sleeps, poverty will attack him like an armed robber.
12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
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Worthless, wicked people go around telling lies.
13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
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They wink and make gestures to deceive you,
14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
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all the while planning evil in their perverted minds, stirring up trouble everywhere.
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
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Because of this, disaster will strike them without warning, and they will be fatally wounded.
16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
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There are seven things that the Lord hates and cannot tolerate: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that kill innocent people, a mind that thinks up wicked plans, feet that hurry off to do evil, a witness who tells one lie after another, and someone who stirs up trouble among friends
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:
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Son, do what your father tells you and never forget what your mother taught you.
21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
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Keep their words with you always, locked in your heart.
22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
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Their teaching will lead you when you travel, protect you at night, and advise you during the day.
23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
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Their instructions are a shining light; their correction can teach you how to live.
24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
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It can keep you away from bad women, from the seductive words of other men's wives.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
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Don't be tempted by their beauty; don't be trapped by their flirting eyes.
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.
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A man can hire a prostitute for the price of a loaf of bread, but adultery will cost him all he has.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
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Can you carry fire against your chest without burning your clothes?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
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Can you walk on hot coals without burning your feet?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
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It is just as dangerous to sleep with another man's wife. Whoever does it will suffer.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
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People don't despise a thief if he steals food when he is hungry;
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
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yet if he is caught, he must pay back seven times more - he must give up everything he has.
32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
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But a man who commits adultery doesn't have any sense. He is just destroying himself.
33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
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He will be dishonored and beaten up; he will be permanently disgraced.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
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A husband is never angrier than when he is jealous; his revenge knows no limits.
35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
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He will not accept any payment; no amount of gifts will satisfy his anger.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.