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Proverbs 6
New Life Version
Proverbs 6
New Life Version
A Father Talks to His Son
6 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 yourself out of trouble, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go without pride and beg your neighbor to let you go. 4 Do not let your eyes sleep. Do not let your eyes close. 5 Take yourself away like a deer from the man who kills animals, and like a bird from the hand of the man who catches birds.
6 Go to the ant, O lazy person. Watch and think about her ways, and be wise. 7 She has no leader, head or ruler, 8 but she gets her food ready in the summer, and gathers her food at the right time. 9 How long will you lie down, O lazy person? When will you rise up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and being poor will come upon you like a robber, and your need like a man ready to fight.
12 A person of no worth, a sinful man, is he who goes about telling lies. 13 He winks with his eyes, makes signs with his feet, and makes certain moves with his fingers. 14 He always plans to do sinful things because of his sinful heart. He causes arguing among people. 15 So trouble will come upon him all at once. Right then he will be broken, and there will be no healing.
16 There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven that are hated by Him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that kill those who are without guilt, 18 a heart that makes sinful plans, feet that run fast to sin, 19 a person who tells lies about someone else, and one who starts fights among brothers.
20 My son, keep the teaching of your father, and do not turn away from the teaching of your mother. 21 Hold them always to your heart. Tie them around your neck. 22 They will lead you when you walk. They will watch over you when you sleep, and they will talk with you when you wake up. 23 For the word is a lamp. The teaching is a light, and strong words that punish are the way of life. 24 They keep you from the sinful woman, from the smooth tongue of a sinful woman. 25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart. Do not let her catch you with her eyes. 26 For because of a woman who sells the use of her body, one is brought down to a loaf of bread. A sinful woman hunts to take a man’s very life. 27 Can a man carry fire in his arms, and his clothes not be burned? 28 Can a man walk on hot coals, and his feet not be burned? 29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will be punished. 30 Men do not hate a robber who steals food for himself when he is hungry. 31 But if he is caught, he must pay seven times what he took. He must give up all the things in his house. 32 He who does sex sins with a woman does not think well. He who does it is destroying himself. 33 He will be hurt and ashamed, and his shame will not be taken away. 34 Jealousy makes a man angry. He will show no pity for the wrong that was done to him. 35 He will not take pay, and he will not be happy even if you give him many gifts.
Proverbs 6
New International Version
Proverbs 6
New International Version
Warnings Against Folly
6 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’s hands:
Go—to the point of exhaustion—[a]
and give your neighbor no rest!
4 Allow no sleep to your eyes,
no slumber to your eyelids.(E)
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle(F) from the hand of the hunter,(G)
like a bird from the snare of the fowler.(H)
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;(I)
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer(J)
and gathers its food at harvest.(K)
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?(L)
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest(M)—
11 and poverty(N) will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.
12 A troublemaker and a villain,
who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13 who winks maliciously with his eye,(O)
signals with his feet
and motions with his fingers,(P)
14 who plots evil(Q) with deceit in his heart—
he always stirs up conflict.(R)
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;(S)
he will suddenly(T) be destroyed—without remedy.(U)
16 There are six things the Lord hates,(V)
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,(W)
a lying tongue,(X)
hands that shed innocent blood,(Y)
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,(Z)
19 a false witness(AA) who pours out lies(AB)
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.(AC)
Warning Against Adultery
20 My son,(AD) keep your father’s command
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(AE)
21 Bind them always on your heart;
fasten them around your neck.(AF)
22 When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.
23 For this command is a lamp,
this teaching is a light,(AG)
and correction and instruction
are the way to life,(AH)
24 keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,
from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.(AI)
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes.
26 For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,
but another man’s wife preys on your very life.(AJ)
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals
without his feet being scorched?
29 So is he who sleeps(AK) with another man’s wife;(AL)
no one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,(AM)
though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
32 But a man who commits adultery(AN) has no sense;(AO)
whoever does so destroys himself.
33 Blows and disgrace are his lot,
and his shame will never(AP) be wiped away.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:3 Or Go and humble yourself,
Proverbs 6
King James Version
Proverbs 6
King James Version
6 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
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 not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
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, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
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 law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
New Life Version (NLV)
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
New International Version (NIV) 
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