1 My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor, If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger; 2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, Seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbor: Go, humble thyself, and importune thy neighbor; 4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, Nor slumber to thine eyelids; 5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand [of the hunter], And as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; Consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no chief, Overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her bread in the summer, And gathereth her food in the harvest. 9 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 a robber, And thy want as an armed man.
12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity, Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth; 13 That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet, That maketh signs with his fingers; 14 In whose heart is perverseness, Who deviseth evil continually, Who soweth discord. 15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.
16 There are six things which Jehovah hateth; Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood; 18 A heart that deviseth wicked purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that uttereth lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.