Old/New Testament
6 My son, if you are a guarantor for your neighbor, and have shaken hands with the stranger,
2 you are snared with the words of your mouth. You are taken with the words of your own mouth.
3 Do this now, my Son, and deliver yourself. Seeing you have come into the hand of your neighbor, go and humble yourself and solicit your friends.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver yourself as a doe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard! Consider her ways, and be wise.
7 For she, having no guide, governor, or ruler,
8 prepares her food in the summer and gathers her food in harvest.
9 How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of the sleep?
10 A little sleep. A little slumber. A little folding of the hands to sleep.
11 Therefore, your poverty comes as one who travels by the way; and your need like an armed man.
12 The unthrifty and the wicked walk with a crooked mouth.
13 He makes a sign with his eyes. He signifies with his feet. He instructs with his fingers.
14 Lewd things are in his heart. He imagines evil at all times and raises up contentions.
15 Therefore, his destruction shall come speedily. He shall be destroyed suddenly, without recovery.
16 These six things the LORD hates — indeed, his soul abhors seven —
17 the haughty eyes, a lying tongue, the hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that imagines wicked enterprises, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19 a false witness that speaks lies, and he who raises up contentions among brothers.
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s instruction.
21 Bind them always upon your heart. Tie them around your neck.
22 It shall lead you when you walk. It shall watch for you when you sleep. When you wake, it shall talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lantern; and instruction a light. And corrections for instruction are the way of life
24 to keep you from the wicked woman and from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart, nor let her take you with her eye lids.
26 For because of the whorish woman, a man is brought to a morsel of bread. And a woman will hunt for the precious life of a man.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burnt?
28 Or can one go upon coals, and his feet not be burnt?
29 So he who goes into his neighbor’s wife, shall not be innocent, whoever touches her.
30 A thief is not despised when he steals to satisfy his soul because he is hungry.
31 But if he is found, he shall restore sevenfold. Or he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 But whoever commits adultery with a woman is destitute of understanding. He who does so destroys his own soul.
33 He shall find a wound and dishonor. And his reproach shall never be put away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man. Therefore, he will not spare on the day of vengeance.
35 He cannot bear the sight of any ransom, nor will he consent, though you augment the gifts.
7 My son, keep my words, and hide my commandments with you.
2 Keep my commandments, and you shall live; and my instruction, as the apple of your eyes.
3 Bind them upon your fingers. Write them upon the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister”. And call understanding, “kinswoman”.
5 That they may keep you from the strange woman; from the strange who is smooth in her words.
6 As in the window of my house, I looked through my window.
7 And I saw among the fools, considered among the children, a young man destitute of understanding.
8 Who passed through the street by her corner and went toward her house;
9 in the twilight, in the evening, when the night began to be black and dark.
10 And behold, he was met by a woman with a harlot’s behavior, and subtle in heart.
11 (She is babbling and loud. Her feet cannot stay in her house.
12 Now outside. Now in the streets; lying in wait at every corner)
13 So she caught him and kissed him. And with an impudent face, said to him,
14 “I have peace offerings. Today I have paid my vows.
15 “Therefore I came forth to meet you, that I might seek your face. And I have found you.
16 “I have decked my bed with ornaments, carpets and laces of Egypt.
17 “I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 “Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning. Let us take our pleasure in dalliance.
19 “For my husband is not at home. He is gone on a far-off journey.
20 “He has taken with him a bag of silver and will come home at the day appointed.”
21 Thus with her great craftiness she caused him to yield. And with her flattering lips she enticed him.
22 And he followed her immediately, as an ox that goes to the slaughter; and as a fool to the stocks for correction,
23 till an arrow strikes through his liver. As a bird hastes to the snare, not knowing that he is in danger.
24 Hear me now, therefore, O children, and listen to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways. Do not wander in her paths.
26 For she has caused many to fall down wounded; the strong men all slain by her.
27 Her house is the way to the grave which goes down to the chambers of death.
2 But this I determined in myself: that I would not come again to you in sorrow.
2 For if I grieve you, who then should make me glad but the same one who is grieved by me?
3 And I wrote this same thing to you, lest when I come, I should not be grieved by those in whom I ought to rejoice, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all.
4 For in great affliction, and anguish of heart, I wrote to you with many tears; not that you should be made sorry, but that you might perceive the love which I have especially for you.
5 And if any have caused grief, the same has not grieved me, but partly (lest I overstate it) you all.
6 Sufficient for such a one is this punishment that was inflicted by many.
7 So that now, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest the same should be overwhelmed with excessive heaviness.
8 Therefore, I encourage you to confirm your love towards him.
9 For this also I wrote: that I might know the proof of you, whether you would be obedient in all things.
10 To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also. For truly if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, I forgave it for your sakes, in the sight of Christ,
11 lest Satan should circumvent us. For we are not ignorant of his purposes.
12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s Gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,
13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus, my brother. But, taking my leave of them, I went away into Macedonia.
14 Now, thanks to God, Who always makes us triumph in Christ; and, by us, makes manifest the savor of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to God the sweet savor of Christ, in those who are saved, and in those who perish.
16 To the one we are the savor of death unto death, and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not as many who make merchandise of the Word of God. But as from sincerity, but as from God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.
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