English Standard Version

King James Bible

Practical Warnings

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
have given your pledge for a stranger,

1

Warnings against Foolishness

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

2

if you are snared in the words of your mouth,
caught in the words of your mouth,

2

Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

3

then do this, my son, and save yourself,
for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
go, hasten,a and plead urgently with your neighbor.

3

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

4

Give your eyes no sleep
and your eyelids no slumber;

4

Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

5

save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,b
like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

5

Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6

Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.

6

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7

Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,

7

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8

she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.

8

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

9

How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?

9

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

10

A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,

10

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

11

and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.

11

So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

12

A worthless person, a wicked man,
goes about with crooked speech,

12

A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

13

winks with his eyes, signalsc with his feet,
points with his finger,

13

He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

14

with perverted heart devises evil,
continually sowing discord;

14

Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

15

therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

15

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

16

There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:

16

These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17

haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,

17

A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18

a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,

18

An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19

a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.

19

A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

20

Warnings Against Adultery

My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching.

20

Warnings against Adultery

My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

21

Bind them on your heart always;
tie them around your neck.

21

Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

22

When you walk, theyd will lead you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.

22

When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,

23

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24

to preserve you from the evil woman,e
from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.f

24

To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25

Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;

25

Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26

for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread,g
but a married womanh hunts down a precious life.

26

For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

27

Can a man carry fire next to his chest
and his clothes not be burned?

27

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

28

Or can one walk on hot coals
and his feet not be scorched?

28

Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

29

So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
none who touches her will go unpunished.

29

So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

30

People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,

30

Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

31

but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold;
he will give all the goods of his house.

31

But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

32

He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.

32

But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

33

He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.

33

A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34

For jealousy makes a man furious,
and he will not spare when he takes revenge.

34

For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35

He will accept no compensation;
he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

35

He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

Parallel

English Standard Version

King James Bible

Proverbs 6

Proverbs 6