King James Version KJV
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
1
My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger;
2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
2
if you are snared in the utterance of your lips, caught in the words of your 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.
3
then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into your neighbor's power: go, hasten, and importune your neighbor.
4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
4
Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber;
5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
5
save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
6
Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
7
Without having any chief, officer or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
8
she prepares her food in summer, and gathers her sustenance in harvest.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
9
How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
10
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
11
and poverty will come upon you like a vagabond, and want like an armed man.
12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
12
A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech,
13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
13
winks with his eyes, scrapes with his feet, points with his finger,
14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
14
with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord;
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
15
therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.
16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
16
There are six things which the LORD hates, seven which are an abomination to him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
17
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
18
a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
19
a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers.
20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
20
My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.
21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
21
Bind them upon your heart always; tie them about your 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.
22
When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
23
For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
24
to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adventuress.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
25
Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
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.
26
for a harlot may be hired for a loaf of bread, but an adulteress stalks a man's very life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
27
Can a man carry fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
28
Or can one walk upon hot coals and his feet not be scorched?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
29
So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
30
Do not men despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry?
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
31
And if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house.
32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
32
He who commits adultery has no sense; he who does it destroys himself.
33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
33
Wounds and dishonor will he get, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
34
For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge.
35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
35
He will accept no compensation, nor be appeased though you multiply gifts.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.