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Beni (my son), if thou put up collateral for thy re’a, if thou hast shaken hands in pledge with a zar (stranger),

Thou art snared with the words of thy peh (mouth), thou art trapped with the words of thy peh (mouth).

Do this now, beni (my son), and deliver thyself, since thou art come into the palm of thy re’a; go, humble thyself, and plead with thy re’a.

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

Deliver thyself as a gazelle from the yad [of the hunter], and as a tzippor (bird) from the yad of the fowler.

Go to the nemalah (ant), thou atzel (sluggard, lazy one); consider her drakhim (ways), and be chacham (wise);

Which having no katzin (officer, leader) or shoter (policeman) or moshel,

Prepareth her lechem in the kayitz (summer), and gathereth her food in the katzir (harvest).

Ad mosai wilt thou lie down, O atzel (sluggard, lazy one)? When wilt thou arise out of thy sheynah (sleep)?

10 Yet a little sheynot (sleep [pl.]), a little slumber, a little folding of the yadayim to sleep;

11 So shall thy poverty come as a prowler, and thy need as an ish mogen (man of armor).

12 A worthless person, a wicked man, walketh with a perverse peh (mouth).

13 He winketh with his eyes, he shuffleth with his regel, he pointeth with his fingers;

14 Tahpukhot (perversity) is in his lev, he deviseth rah continually; he stirs up midanim (contention, strife, discord [pl.]).

15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be destoyed without marpeh (remedy).

16 These shesh (six) things doth Hashem hate; indeed, shevah (seven) are an abomination unto His Nefesh;

17 Haughty eyes, a lashon sheker, and hands guilty of shefach dahm naki,

18 A lev that deviseth wicked machshevot (plans), raglayim that are swift in running to ra’ah,

19 An ed sheker that speaketh lies, and he that soweth midanim (contention, strife, discords) among achim.

20 Beni (my son), keep the mitzvat Avicha, and forsake not the torat Immecha;

21 Bind them tamid (continually) upon thine lev, and tie them about thy neck.

22 When thou goest, it shall guide thee; when thou sleepest, it shall be shomer over thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23 For the mitzvah is a ner (lamp); and torah an ohr; and tokhakhot musar (reproofs of discipline) are the Derech Chayyim (Life Lane);

24 To be shomer over thee, keeping thee from the eshet rah, from the smooth lashon of the nokhriyah (strange woman).

25 Lust not after her beauty in thine lev; neither let her allure thee with her eyelids.

26 For by means of an isha zonah a man is reduced to a kikar lechem; and [another] man’s wife will prey on the nefesh yekara (precious soul).

27 Can a man take eish in his kheyk, and his clothes not be burned?

28 Can one walk upon hot coals, and his regel not be burned?

29 So is he that goeth into his eshet re’a; whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.

30 Men do not despise a ganav if he steal to satisfy his nefesh when he is starving;

31 But if he be found out, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give hon (substance, wealth) of his bais;

32 But the no’ef (one who committeth adultery) with an isha lacketh lev [of understanding]; he that doeth it destroyeth his own nefesh.

33 A nega [see Isaiah 53:8 for Moshiach’s nega taken for unfaithful Israel] and dishonor shall he get; and his cherpah (reproach) shall not be wiped away.

34 For kina (jealousy) is the chamat gever (husband’s rage); therefore he will not spare in the yom nakam (day of vengeance).

35 He will not regard kofer (compensation); neither will he be the appeased, though shochad (bribe) be great.

Warnings Against Folly

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,
you have been trapped by what you said,
    ensnared by the words of your mouth.
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!
Allow no sleep to your eyes,
    no slumber to your eyelids.(E)
Free yourself, like a gazelle(F) from the hand of the hunter,(G)
    like a bird from the snare of the fowler.(H)

Go to the ant, you sluggard;(I)
    consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer(J)
    and gathers its food at harvest.(K)

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.

34 For jealousy(AQ) arouses a husband’s fury,(AR)
    and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will not accept any compensation;
    he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:3 Or Go and humble yourself,