Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Revised Standard NRS
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 given your pledge to your neighbor, if you have bound yourself to another,
2 Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.
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you are snared by the utterance of your lips, caught by the words of your mouth.
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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So do this, my child, and save yourself, for you have come into your neighbor's power: go, hurry, and plead with your neighbor.
4 Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.
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Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber;
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 from the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
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Go to the ant, you lazybones; consider its ways, and be wise.
7 Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,
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Without having any chief or officer or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
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it prepares its food in summer, and gathers its sustenance in harvest.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
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How long will you lie there, O lazybones? When will you rise from your sleep?
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 sleep, a little 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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and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want, like an armed warrior.
12 A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,
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A scoundrel and a villain goes around with crooked speech,
13 He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.
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winking the eyes, shuffling the feet, pointing the fingers,
14 With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.
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with perverted mind devising evil, continually sowing discord;
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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on such a one calamity will descend suddenly; in a moment, damage beyond repair.
16 Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:
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There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
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haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,
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a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil,
19 A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.
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a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one 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 child, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
21 Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.
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Bind them upon your heart always; 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, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with 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 the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24 That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.
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to preserve you from the wife of another, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
25 Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:
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Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
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's fee is only a loaf of bread, but the wife of another stalks a man's very life.
27 Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?
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Can fire be carried in the bosom without burning one's clothes?
28 Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
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Or can one walk on hot coals without scorching the 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 is he who sleeps with his neighbor's wife; no one who touches her will 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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Thieves are not despised who steal only to satisfy their appetite when they are hungry.
31 And if he be taken, he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.
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Yet if they are caught, they will pay sevenfold; they will forfeit all the goods of their house.
32 But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:
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But he who commits adultery has no sense; he who does it destroys himself.
33 He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:
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He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,
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For jealousy arouses a husband's fury, and he shows no restraint 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, and refuses a bribe no matter how great.
The Douay-Rheims Bible is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, 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.