¶ My son, if thou be¹ surety for thy friend, if thou hast² stricken thy hand with a stranger,

³Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when⁴ thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go⁵, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend⁶.

⁷Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird⁸ from the hand of the fowler.

¶ Go to the ant⁹, thou¹⁰ sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

¹¹Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

¹²Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

How¹³ long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when¹⁴ wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

¶¹⁵Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

¹⁶So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

¶ A naughty¹⁷ person, a wicked man, walketh¹⁸ with a froward mouth.

¹⁹He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

Frowardness²⁰ is in his heart, he deviseth²¹ mischief continually; he soweth²² discord.

Therefore shall his²³ calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be²⁴ broken without remedy.

These six²⁵ things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an²⁶ abomination unto him²⁷:

A proud look²⁸, a lying²⁹ tongue, and hands³⁰ that shed innocent blood,

An heart³¹ that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet³² that be swift in running to mischief,

A false³³ witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth³⁴ discord among brethren.

¶³⁵My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

³⁶Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

³⁷When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

For the commandment³⁸ is a lamp³⁹; and the law is light; and reproofs⁴⁰ of instruction are the way⁴¹ of life:

To keep⁴² thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman⁴³.

Lust⁴⁴ not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take⁴⁵ thee with her eyelids.

For by⁴⁶ means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece⁴⁷ of bread: and the adulteress⁴⁸ will hunt for the precious life.

⁴⁹Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

Can one go upon⁵⁰ hot coals⁵¹, and his feet not be burned⁵²?

So he that⁵³ goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth⁵⁴ her shall not be innocent.

¶ Men do not despise⁵⁵ a thief⁵⁶, if he steal⁵⁷ to satisfy⁵⁸ his soul⁵⁹ when he is hungry⁶⁰;

But if⁶¹ he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give⁶² all the substance of his house.

But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh⁶³ understanding⁶⁴: he that doeth it destroyeth⁶⁵ his own soul.

A wound⁶⁶ and dishonour shall he get; and his⁶⁷ reproach shall not be wiped away.

⁶⁸For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

He will not regard⁶⁹ any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.