English Standard Version

King James Bible

1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger,

1My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

2if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth,

2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

3then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor.

3Do 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.

4Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber;

4Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

5save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

5Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

6Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,

7Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.

8Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

9How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?

9How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

10Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

11and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

11So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

12A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech,

12A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

13winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger,

13He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

14with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord;

14Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

15therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

16There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him:

16These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,

18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

20My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.

20My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

21Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck.

21Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

22When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.

22When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,

23For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;

25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life.

26For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

27Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?

27Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

28Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?

28Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

29So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.

29So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

30People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,

30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

31but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house.

31But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

32He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.

32But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

33He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.

33A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge.

34For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

35He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.