Bible Text & Cross-references:
Documents on several heads.
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 eye-lids 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 rise 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 seven-fold, 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.
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10: Proverbs xxiv. 33.
