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My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor,
    if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,
you are trapped by the words of your mouth;
    you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself,
    since you have come into the hand of your neighbor.
Go, humble yourself.
    Press your plea with your neighbor.
Give no sleep to your eyes,
    nor slumber to your eyelids.
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
    like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

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Against Pledges

My child, if you have pledged to your neighbor,
    if you have bound yourself[a] to the stranger,
if you are snared by the sayings of your mouth,
    if you are caught by the sayings of your mouth,
do this, then, my child, and save yourself,
    for you have come into the palm of your neighbor’s hand:[b]
    Go, humble yourself, plead with your neighbor.
Do not give sleep to your eyes,
    or slumber to your eyelids.
Save yourself like a gazelle from a hand,
    or like a bird from the hand of a fowler.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:1 Literally “palms of your hands”
  2. Proverbs 6:3 Literally “the palm of the hand of your neighbor”