Proverbs 6 - English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

Practical Warnings

6 My son, if you have put up (A)security for your neighbour,
have (B)given your pledge for a stranger,
2 if you are (C)snared in the words of your mouth,
caught in the words of your mouth,
3 then do this, my son, and save yourself,
for you have come into the hand of your neighbour:
go, hasten,[a] and (D)plead urgently with your neighbour.
4 (E)Give your eyes no sleep
and your eyelids no slumber;
5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,[b]
(F)like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 (G)Go to (H)the ant, O (I)sluggard;
consider her ways, and (J)be wise.
7 (K)Without having any chief,
(L)officer, or ruler,
8 she prepares her bread (M)in summer
and (N)gathers her food in harvest.
9 (O)How long will you lie there, (P)O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 (Q)A little sleep, a little slumber,
(R)a little (S)folding of the hands to rest,
11 (T)and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
12 (U)A worthless person, a wicked man,
goes about with (V)crooked speech,
13 (W)winks with his eyes, signals[c] with his feet,
points with his finger,
14 with (X)perverted heart (Y)devises evil,
continually (Z)sowing discord;
15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
(AA)in a moment he will be broken (AB)beyond healing.
16 There are (AC)six things that the Lord hates,
(AD)seven that are an abomination to him:
17 (AE)haughty eyes, (AF)a lying tongue,
and (AG)hands that shed innocent blood,
18 (AH)a heart that devises wicked plans,
(AI)feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 (AJ)a false witness who (AK)breathes out lies,
and one who (AL)sows discord among brothers.

Warnings Against Adultery

20 (AM)My son, keep your father's commandment,
(AN)and forsake not your mother's teaching.
21 (AO)Bind them on your heart always;
(AP)tie them round your neck.
22 (AQ)When you walk, they[d] will lead you;
(AR)when you lie down, they will (AS)watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is (AT)a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the (AU)reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24 to preserve you from the evil woman,[e]
from the smooth tongue of (AV)the adulteress.[f]
25 (AW)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her (AX)eyelashes;
26 for (AY)the price of a prostitute is only (AZ)a loaf of bread,[g]
but a married woman[h] (BA)hunts down a precious life.
27 Can a man carry (BB)fire next to his (BC)chest
and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one (BD)walk on hot coals
and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbour's wife;
none who touches her (BE)will go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to (BF)satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
31 but (BG)if he is caught, he will pay (BH)sevenfold;
he will give all the goods of his house.
32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
33 He will get wounds and dishonour,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 For (BI)jealousy makes a man furious,
and he will not spare when (BJ)he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation;
he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:3 Or humble yourself
  2. Proverbs 6:5 Hebrew lacks of the hunter
  3. Proverbs 6:13 Hebrew scrapes
  4. Proverbs 6:22 Hebrew it; three times in this verse
  5. Proverbs 6:24 Revocalization (compare Septuagint) yields from the wife of a neighbour
  6. Proverbs 6:24 Hebrew the foreign woman
  7. Proverbs 6:26 Or (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate) for a prostitute leaves a man with nothing but a loaf of bread
  8. Proverbs 6:26 Hebrew a man's wife

Cross references

  1. Proverbs 6:1 : See Job 17:3
  2. Proverbs 6:1 : See Job 17:3
  3. Proverbs 6:2 : [ch. 5:22]
  4. Proverbs 6:3 : [Luke 11:8; 18:5]
  5. Proverbs 6:4 : ch. 20:13; Ps. 132:4
  6. Proverbs 6:5 : See Ps. 91:3
  7. Proverbs 6:6 : [Job 12:7]
  8. Proverbs 6:6 : ch. 30:25
  9. Proverbs 6:6 : ch. 10:26
  10. Proverbs 6:6 : ch. 23:19; 27:11
  11. Proverbs 6:7 : [ch. 30:27]
  12. Proverbs 6:7 : Ex. 5:6, 15
  13. Proverbs 6:8 : [ch. 10:5]
  14. Proverbs 6:8 : [ch. 10:5]
  15. Proverbs 6:9 : [Jonah 1:6]
  16. Proverbs 6:9 : [See ver. 6 above]; ch. 10:26
  17. Proverbs 6:10 : ch. 24:33
  18. Proverbs 6:10 : Eccles. 4:5
  19. Proverbs 6:10 : ch. 24:33
  20. Proverbs 6:11 : ch. 24:34
  21. Proverbs 6:12 : ch. 16:27
  22. Proverbs 6:12 : ch. 4:24
  23. Proverbs 6:13 : ch. 10:10; Ps. 35:19
  24. Proverbs 6:14 : See ch. 2:12
  25. Proverbs 6:14 : [Mic. 2:1]; See ch. 3:29
  26. Proverbs 6:14 : [ch. 16:28]
  27. Proverbs 6:15 : Isa. 30:13, 14; Jer. 19:11
  28. Proverbs 6:15 : ch. 29:1; 2 Chr. 36:16
  29. Proverbs 6:16 : See Job 5:19
  30. Proverbs 6:16 : See Job 5:19
  31. Proverbs 6:17 : [ch. 8:13; 16:5; 21:4]; See Ps. 101:5
  32. Proverbs 6:17 : ch. 12:22; 17:7; Ps. 31:18; 120:2
  33. Proverbs 6:17 : Deut. 19:10; Isa. 1:15; 59:3, 7
  34. Proverbs 6:18 : Gen. 6:5
  35. Proverbs 6:18 : See ch. 1:16
  36. Proverbs 6:19 : See Ps. 27:12
  37. Proverbs 6:19 : ch. 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9
  38. Proverbs 6:19 : [See ver. 14 above]; [ch. 16:28]
  39. Proverbs 6:20 : See ch. 1:8
  40. Proverbs 6:20 : See ch. 1:8
  41. Proverbs 6:21 : See ch. 3:3
  42. Proverbs 6:21 : [Job 31:36]
  43. Proverbs 6:22 : See ch. 3:23, 24
  44. Proverbs 6:22 : See ch. 3:23, 24
  45. Proverbs 6:22 : ch. 2:11
  46. Proverbs 6:23 : Ps. 119:105; [Ps. 13:3]
  47. Proverbs 6:23 : [ch. 10:17]
  48. Proverbs 6:24 : See ch. 2:16
  49. Proverbs 6:25 : [Matt. 5:28]
  50. Proverbs 6:25 : [2 Kgs. 9:30]
  51. Proverbs 6:26 : [ch. 29:3]
  52. Proverbs 6:26 : ch. 28:21; 1 Sam. 2:36
  53. Proverbs 6:26 : Ezek. 13:18
  54. Proverbs 6:27 : Job 31:12
  55. Proverbs 6:27 : Ps. 79:12
  56. Proverbs 6:28 : Isa. 43:2
  57. Proverbs 6:29 : ch. 16:5
  58. Proverbs 6:30 : Job 38:39
  59. Proverbs 6:31 : [Ex. 22:4]
  60. Proverbs 6:31 : See Ps. 79:12
  61. Proverbs 6:34 : ch. 27:4; Song 8:6
  62. Proverbs 6:34 : [Lev. 20:10]

You Might Also Like:

Proverbs 6 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

6 My son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand, 2 Hast been snared with sayings of thy mouth, Hast been captured with sayings of thy mouth, 3 Do this now, my son, and be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and s...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

6 My son, if thou hast promised for thy friend, thou hast fastened thine hand at a stranger. (My son, if thou hast pledged yourself, or made a guarantee, for thy friend, then thou hast fastened thy hand to a stranger.) 2 Thou art bound by the words of thy mouth; and thou art taken with thine own wor...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - World English Bible (WEB)

6 My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,2 you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.3 Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, since you have come into the hand of your neighbo...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - The Voice (VOICE)

6 My son, if you will risk your family’s future to put up collateral for the debts of an acquaintance, if you seal a commitment with a handshake to someone without first knowing the value of his word,2 Then your words may well be the trap that snares you, and your promise may seal your fate. You can...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Economic Entanglements6 My son, if you have become a cosigner for your neighbor,if you have shaken hands in pledge with a stranger,2 if you are trapped by your own words,ensnared by the words of your mouth,3 then do this, my son, and free yourself,since you fell into your neighbor’s hand:Go, humble ...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Practical Admonitions6 My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger;2 if you are snared in the utterance of your lips,[a] caught in the words of your mouth;3 then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into your neighbor’s power: go, haste...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Practical Admonitions6 My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger;2 if you are snared in the utterance of your lips,[a] caught in the words of your mouth;3 then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into your neighbor’s power: go, haste...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Practical Admonitions6 My child, if you have given your pledge to your neighbour, if you have bound yourself to another,[a]2 you are snared by the utterance of your lips,[b] caught by the words of your mouth.3 So do this, my child, and save yourself, for you have come into your neighbour’s power: go...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Practical Admonitions6 My child, if you have given your pledge to your neighbor, if you have bound yourself to another,[a](A)2 you are snared by the utterance of your lips,[b] caught by the words of your mouth.3 So do this, my child, and save yourself, for you have come into your neighbor’s power: g...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Lessons for Daily Life6 My child,[a] if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—2 if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—3 follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s merc...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - New Life Version (NLV)

A Father Talks to His Son6 My son, if you have put yourself as a trust for what your neighbor owes to another, or if you have made a promise for a stranger, 2 you have been trapped with the words of your lips. You have been caught with the words of your mouth. 3 Do this now, my son, and get yourse...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Dangerous Promises6 My son, (A)if you become [a]surety for your friend,If you have [b]shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,2 You are snared by the words of your mouth;You are taken by the words of your mouth.3 So do this, my son, and deliver yourself;For you have come into the hand of your friend:G...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Warnings against folly6 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbour, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,2 you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth.3 So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbour’s hands:go...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - New International Version (NIV)

Warnings Against Folly6 My son,(A) if you have put up security(B) for your neighbor,(C) if you have shaken hands in pledge(D) for a stranger,2 you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth.3 So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Warnings Against Foolish Acts6 My son, don’t promise to pay for what your neighbor owes. Don’t agree to pay a stranger’s bill.2 Don’t be trapped by what you have said. Don’t be caught by the words of your mouth.3 Instead, my son, do something to free yourself. Don’t fall into your neighbor’s hands.G...
Read More

Proverbs 6 - New English Translation (NET)

Admonitions and Warnings against Dangerous and Destructive Acts[a]6 My child,[b] if you have made a pledge[c] for your neighbor,[d]if[e] you have become a guarantor[f] for a stranger,[g]2 if[h] you have been ensnared[i] by the words you have uttered,[j]and have been caught by the words you have spok...
Read More