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Flere gode råd

Min søn, har du kautioneret for en nabo
    eller stillet garanti for en fremmed,
så er du bundet af det ord, du har givet,
    sidder fast i en dumdristig aftale.
Prøv at komme ud af det, min søn,
    for du er jo i den anden mands magt.
        Anmod ham straks om at annullere aftalen.
Udsæt det ikke til dagen efter!
    Giv dig ingen ro, før det er gjort!
Fri dig fra snaren, før løkken strammes,
    flygt fra fælden, før den klapper i.

Er du doven, så tag ved lære af myren,
    få forstand af at studere dens færden.
Den arbejder uden at have pisken over nakken,
    den har hverken chef eller arbejdsgiver.
Den indsamler proviant om sommeren,
    opbygger sit vinterforråd i høsttiden.
Hvor længe bliver du liggende, dit dovendyr?
    Hvornår har du tænkt dig at stå op?
10 „Årh, bare et lille hvil endnu!” siger du
    og slapper af med foldede hænder.
11 Men pludselig overfalder fattigdommen dig,
    som en væbnet røver angriber sulten dig.

12 En ond og samvittighedsløs slyngel
    er den, som taler bedrageriske ord,
13 som blinker med det ene øje,
    skraber med foden og giver tegn med hænderne.
14 Han pønser hele tiden på ondt
    og er årsag til skænderier overalt, hvor han kommer.
15 Men pludselig indhenter ulykken ham,
    på et øjeblik bliver han slået ned uden håb om redning.

16 Der er mange ting, Herren hader,
    især er der syv forfærdelige synder:
17 Hovmodige øjne, løgnagtige tunger,
    hænder, der dræber uskyldige folk,
18 et hoved fyldt med onde planer,
    fødder, der iler med at øve vold,
19 et vidne, som lyver i retten,
    og den, der skaber splid mellem venner.

Gentaget advarsel mod utroskab

20 Husk at følge din fars råd, min søn,
    glem ikke, hvad din mor har lært dig.
21 Gem ordene i dit hjerte og hav dem altid for øje,
22     lad dem vise dig vejen, du bør gå.
De giver dig ro, når du skal sove,
    de vejleder dig, når du tager hul på en ny dag.
23 De giver dig lys på vejen frem
    og leder dig til et langt og godt liv.
24 De beskytter dig mod utro kvinder,
    mod gifte koners lokkende kalden.
25 Lad være med hemmeligt at beundre deres skønhed,
    bliv ikke fanget af forførende blikke.
26 Det koster ikke meget at få fat i en prostitueret,
    men at ligge hos en anden mands kone kan koste dit liv.
27 Kan man bære gløder i hænderne
    uden at brænde fingrene?
28 Kan man gå på gloende kul
    uden at få sår på fødderne?
29 Kan en mand begå ægteskabsbrud
    uden at lide under konsekvenserne?
30 Man kan forstå en mand, som stjæler,
    hvis han er ved at dø af sult.
31 Men bliver han pågrebet,
    må han betale syv gange så meget tilbage.
Kan han ikke betale,
    må han sælge ud af sine ejendele.
32 Men begår du ægteskabsbrud, er du uden undskyldning.
    Så er du dum nok til at lægge løkken om din egen hals.
33 Du bliver straffet og vanæret,
    din forbrydelse vil altid blive husket.
34 En jaloux ægtemand er rasende,
    og hans hævn er ubarmhjertig.
35 Han tager ikke imod godtgørelse,
    ingen erstatning kan dæmpe hans vrede.

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

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.

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

Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

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.

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,