Proverbs

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

1My son, suppose you promised to pay your neighbor's debt. Suppose you shook hands on a deal for a stranger.

2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

2Then your own words have trapped you. What you said with your own mouth has caught you.

3Do 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.

3So do this, my son, and get yourself free, since you are now in your neighbor's power. Go, be humble, and beg him.

4Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

4Do not let your eyes sleep. Do not let your eyelids even close for a moment.

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

5Get yourself free the way a deer escapes the hunter, or a bird escapes the man who traps birds.

6Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

6Go look at the ant, you lazy person. Watch how it works, and become wise.

7Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

7The ant has no leader, no boss, and no ruler over it.

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

8Yet it stores up its food in the summer. It gathers what it needs at harvest time.

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

9How long will you lie there, lazy one? When are you going to get up out of bed?

10Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

10A little sleep, a little dozing, a little folding of the hands to rest.

11So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

11Then poverty will come at you like a robber, and need will come like an armed man.

Note"As one that travelleth" in the KJV means like a robber on the road, not like a traveler. "Want" means lack or need.

12A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

12A worthless person, an evil man, goes around saying twisted things.

Note"Naughty" in 1611 English meant worthless and wicked, not mildly bad the way we use it for children today.

13He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

13He winks his eyes, shuffles his feet, and points with his fingers to signal others.

14Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

14His heart is crooked. He is always planning trouble. He stirs up fights between people.

15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

15So disaster will hit him all at once. In a moment he will be broken, and nothing can fix it.

16These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

16There are six things the LORD hates. Yes, there are seven things He cannot stand:

17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

17eyes full of pride, a tongue that lies, and hands that kill people who did nothing wrong,

18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

18a heart that plans evil, feet that run fast to do harm,

19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

19a witness who lies in court, and a person who stirs up fights among family and friends.

20My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

20My son, obey what your father commands. Do not turn away from what your mother teaches.

21Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

21Tie their words onto your heart and keep them there. Fasten them around your neck.

22When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

22When you walk, their words will guide you. When you sleep, they will watch over you. When you wake, they will talk with you.

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

23For the command is a lamp, and the teaching is light. Being corrected and trained points you toward life.

24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

24It keeps you away from the evil woman, and from the smooth talk of another man's wife.

25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

25Do not let your heart burn for her beauty. Do not let her eyes capture you.

26For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

26A prostitute can cost a man everything he has. And another man's wife hunts for your very life.

Note"Brought to a piece of bread" means left with almost nothing, down to a single scrap of food.

27Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

27Can a man hold fire against his chest without burning his clothes?

28Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

28Can a man walk on hot coals without burning his feet?

29So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

29It is the same for the man who sleeps with his neighbor's wife. Anyone who touches her will be punished.

30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

30People do not look down on a thief too much if he steals because he is starving.

Note"Men do not despise a thief" means people do not scorn him as harshly. Verse 31 shows he is still punished.

31But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

31But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he took. He may lose everything he owns.

32But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

32But the man who commits adultery has no sense. He is destroying himself.

33A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

33He will get wounds and shame. The disgrace on his name will never be wiped off.

34For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

34For jealousy makes a husband furious. He will show no mercy on the day he pays the man back.

35He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

35He will not accept any payment. No amount of gifts will calm him down.