Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Living Translation NLT
1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger,
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My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—
2 Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.
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if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—
3 Do, therefore, my son, what I say, and deliver thyself: because thou art fallen into the hand of thy neighbour. Run about, make haste, stir up thy friend:
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follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased.
4 Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.
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Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.
5 Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
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Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
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Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!
7 Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,
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Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work,
8 Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
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they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
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But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?
10 Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:
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A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 And want shall come upon thee, as a traveller, and poverty as a man armed. But if thou be diligent, thy harvest shall come as a fountain, and want shall flee far from thee.
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then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
12 A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,
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What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars,
13 He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.
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signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.
14 With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.
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Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble.
15 To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.
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But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.
16 Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:
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There are six things the LORD hates— no, seven things he detests:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
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haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent,
18 A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,
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a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong,
19 A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.
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a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.
20 My son, keep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
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My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
21 Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.
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Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck.
22 When thou walkest, let them go with thee: when thou sleepest, let them keep thee, and when thou awakest, talk with them.
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When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you.
23 Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
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For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life.
24 That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.
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It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.
25 Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:
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Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.
26 For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.
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For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.
27 Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?
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Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire?
28 Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
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Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.
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So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished.
30 The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:
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Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving.
31 And if he be taken, he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.
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But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house.
32 But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:
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But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself.
33 He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:
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He will be wounded and disgraced. His shame will never be erased.
34 Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,
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For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 Nor will he yield to any man’s prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.
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He will accept no compensation, nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.
The Douay-Rheims Bible is in the public domain.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.