Financial Entanglements

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor[a]
or entered into an agreement with[b] a stranger,(A)
you have been snared by the words of your mouth—
trapped by the words from your mouth.
Do this, then, my son, and free yourself,
for you have put yourself in your neighbor’s power:
Go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor.
Don’t give sleep to your eyes
or slumber to your eyelids.(B)
Escape like a gazelle from a hunter,[c]
like a bird from a hunter’s trap.[d](C)

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Footnotes

  1. 6:1 Or friend
  2. 6:1 Lit or slapped hands for
  3. 6:5 Lit hand
  4. 6:5 Lit hand

Practical Admonitions

My child, if you have given your pledge to your neighbor,
    if you have bound yourself to another,[a](A)
you are snared by the utterance of your lips,[b]
    caught by the words of your mouth.
So do this, my child, and save yourself,
    for you have come into your neighbor’s power:
    go, hurry,[c] and plead with your neighbor.
Give your eyes no sleep
    and your eyelids no slumber;(B)
save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter,[d]
    like a bird from the hand of the fowler.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 6.1 Or a stranger
  2. 6.2 Cn Compare Gk Syr: Heb the words of your mouth
  3. 6.3 Or humble yourself
  4. 6.5 Cn: Heb from the hand

17 A friend loves at all times,(A)
and a brother is born for a difficult time.

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17 A friend loves at all times,
    and kinsfolk are born to share adversity.(A)

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10 If you do nothing in a difficult time,
your strength is limited.

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10 If you faint in the day of adversity,
    your strength being small;(A)

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10 Don’t abandon your friend or your father’s friend,(A)
and don’t go to your brother’s house
in your time of calamity;
better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.(B)

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10 Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your parent;
    do not go to the house of your kindred in the day of your calamity.
Better is a neighbor who is nearby
    than kindred who are far away.(A)

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