Parental Counsel

My son, if you have become a (A)guarantor for your neighbor,
Or have given a handshake for a stranger,
If you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth,
Or caught by the words of your mouth,
Then do this, my son, and save yourself:
Since you have come into the [a]hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself.
Give no (B)sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;
Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand,
And like a (C)bird from the hand of the fowler.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:3 Lit palm

Practical Admonitions

My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor,
    have given your pledge for a stranger;
if you are snared in the utterance of your lips,[a]
    caught in the words of your mouth;
then do this, my son, and save yourself,
    for you have come into your neighbor’s power:
    go, hasten,[b] and importune your neighbor.
Give your eyes no sleep
    and your eyelids no slumber;
save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter,[c]
    like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:2 Cn Compare Gk Syr: Heb the words of your mouth
  2. Proverbs 6:3 Or humble yourself
  3. Proverbs 6:5 Cn: Heb hand

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,