Dangerous Promises

My son, (A)if you become [a]surety for your friend,
If you have [b]shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,
You are snared by the words of your mouth;
You are taken by the words of your mouth.
So do this, my son, and deliver yourself;
For you have come into the hand of your friend:
Go and humble yourself;
Plead with your friend.
(B)Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids.
Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
And like a bird from the hand of the [c]fowler.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:1 guaranty or collateral
  2. Proverbs 6:1 Lit. struck
  3. Proverbs 6:5 One who catches birds in a trap or snare

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)

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Footnotes

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

15 He who is (A)surety[a] for a stranger will suffer,
But one who hates [b]being surety is secure.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:15 guaranty
  2. Proverbs 11:15 those pledging guaranty, lit. those who strike hands

15 Whoever puts up security(A) for a stranger will surely suffer,
    but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.(B)

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18 (A)A man devoid of [a]understanding [b]shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes [c]surety for his friend.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:18 Lit. heart
  2. Proverbs 17:18 Lit. strikes the hands
  3. Proverbs 17:18 guaranty or collateral

18 One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
    and puts up security for a neighbor.(A)

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16 (A)Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.

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16 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
    hold it in pledge(A) if it is done for an outsider.(B)

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The (A)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender.

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The rich rule over the poor,
    and the borrower is slave to the lender.

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26 (A)Do not be one of those who [a]shakes hands in a pledge,
One of those who is [b]surety for debts;
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he take away your bed from under you?

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:26 Lit. strikes
  2. Proverbs 22:26 guaranty

Saying 4

26 Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge(A)
    or puts up security for debts;
27 if you lack the means to pay,
    your very bed will be snatched from under you.(B)

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13 Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress.

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13 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
    hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.(A)

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