Proverbs 6; Proverbs 7; 2 Corinthians 2

Proverbs 6

1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger,

2 Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.

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:

4 Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.

5 Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:

7 Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,

8 Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10 Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:

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.

12 A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,

13 He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.

14 With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.

15 To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.

16 Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:

17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

18 A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,

19 A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.

20 My son, keep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.

21 Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.

22 When thou walkest, let them go with thee: when thou sleepest, let them keep thee, and when thou awakest, talk with them.

23 Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24 That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.

25 Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:

26 For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.

27 Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?

28 Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?

29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.

30 The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:

31 And if he be taken, he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.

32 But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:

33 He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:

34 Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,

35 Nor will he yield to any man’s prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.

Proverbs 7

1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my precepts with thee. Son,

2 Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live: and my law as the apple of thy eye:

3 Bind it upon thy fingers, write it upon the tables of thy heart.

4 Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,

5 That she may keep thee from the woman that is not thine, and from the stranger who sweeteneth her words.

6 For I looked out of the window of my house through the lattice,

7 And I see little ones, I behold a foolish young man,

8 Who passeth through the street by the corner, and goeth nigh the way of her house,

9 In the dark when it grows late, in the darkness and obscurity of the night.

10 And behold a woman meeteth him in harlot’s attire, prepared to deceive souls: talkative and wandering,

11 Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,

12 Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.

13 And catching the young man, she kisseth him, and with an impudent face, flattereth, saying:

14 I vowed victims for prosperity, this day I have paid my vows.

15 Therefore I am come out to meet thee, desirous to see thee, and I have found thee.

16 I have woven my bed with cords, I have covered it with painted tapestry, brought from Egypt.

17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18 Come, let us be inebriated with the breasts, and let us enjoy the desired embraces, till the day appear.

19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a very long journey.

20 He took with him a bag of money: he will return home the day of the full moon.

21 She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.

22 Immediately he followeth her as an ox led to be a victim, and as a lamb playing the wanton, and not knowing that he is drawn like a fool to bonds,

23 Till the arrow pierce his liver: as if a bird should make haste to the snare, and knoweth not that his life is in danger.

24 Now, therefore, my son, hear me, and attend to the words of my mouth.

25 Let not thy mind be drawn away in her ways: neither be thou deceived with her paths.

26 For she hath cast down many wounded, and the strongest have been slain by her.

27 Her house is the way to hell, reaching even to the inner chambers of death.

2 Corinthians 2

1 But I determined this with myself, to come to you again in sorrow.

2 For if I make you sorrowful, who is he then that can make me glad, but the same who is made sorrowful by me?

3 And I wrote this same to you: that I may not, when I come, have sorrow upon sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice: having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote to you with many tears: not that you should be made sorrowful: but that you might know the charity I have more abundantly towards you.

5 And if any one have caused grief, he hath not grieved me: but in part, that I may not burden you all.

6 To him who is such a one, this rebuke is sufficient, which is given by many.

7 So that on the contrary, you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

8 Wherefore, I beseech you that you would confirm your charity towards him.

9 For to this end also did I write, that I may know the experiment of you, whether you be obedient in all things.

10 And to whom you have pardoned any thing, I also. For, what I have pardoned, if I have pardoned any thing, for your sakes have I done it in the person of Christ:

11 That we be not overreached by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his devices.

12 And when I was come to Troas for the gospel of Christ and a door was opened unto me in the Lord,

13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but bidding them farewell, I went into Macedonia.

14 Now thanks be to God, who always maketh us to triumph in Christ Jesus and manifesteth the odour of his knowledge by us in every place.

15 For we are the good odour of Christ unto God, in them that are saved and in them that perish.

16 To the one indeed the odour of death unto death: but to the others the odour of life unto life. And for these things who is so sufficient?

17 For we are not as many, adulterating the word of God: but with sincerity: but as from God, before God, in Christ we speak.