| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1My son, if you become surety for your friend, If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, | 1My child, if you have made a pledge for your neighbor, and have become a guarantor for a stranger, |
| 2You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. | 2if you have been ensnared by the words you have uttered, and have been caught by the words you have spoken, |
| 3So do this, my son, and deliver yourself; For you have come into the hand of your friend: Go and humble yourself; Plead with your friend. | 3then, my child, do this in order to deliver yourself, because you have fallen into your neighbor's power: go, humble yourself, and appeal firmly to your neighbor. |
| 4Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids. | 4Permit no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. |
| 5Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler. | 5Deliver yourself like a gazelle from a snare, and like a bird from the trap of the fowler. |
| 6Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, | 6Go to the ant, you sluggard; observe its ways and be wise! |
| 7Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, | 7It has no commander, overseer, or ruler, |
| 8Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. | 8yet it prepares its food in the summer; it gathers at the harvest what it will eat. |
| 9How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? | 9How long, you sluggard, will you lie there? When will you rise from your sleep? |
| 10A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— | 10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to relax, |
| 11So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man. | 11and your poverty will come like a robber, and your need like an armed man. |
| 12A worthless person, a wicked man, Walks with a perverse mouth; | 12A worthless and wicked person walks around saying perverse things; |
| 13He winks with his eyes, He shuffles his feet, He points with his fingers; | 13he winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, and points with his fingers; |
| 14Perversity is in his heart, He devises evil continually, He sows discord. | 14he plots evil with perverse thoughts in his heart, he spreads contention at all times. |
| 15Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy. | 15Therefore, his disaster will come suddenly; in an instant he will be broken, and there will be no remedy. |
| 16These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: | 16There are six things that the LORD hates, even seven things that are an abomination to him: |
| 17A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, | 17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, |
| 18A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, | 18a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift to run to evil, |
| 19A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. | 19a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who spreads discord among family members. |
| 20My son, keep your father’s command, And do not forsake the law of your mother. | 20My child, guard the commands of your father and do not forsake the instruction of your mother. |
| 21Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. | 21Bind them on your heart continually; fasten them around your neck. |
| 22When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you. | 22When you walk about, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you. |
| 23For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life, | 23For the commandments are like a lamp, instruction is like a light, and rebukes of discipline are like the road leading to life, |
| 24To keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress. | 24by keeping you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the loose woman. |
| 25Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids. | 25Do not lust in your heart for her beauty, and do not let her captivate you with her alluring eyes; |
| 26For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. | 26for on account of a prostitute one is brought down to a loaf of bread, but the wife of another man preys on your precious life. |
| 27Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? | 27Can a man hold fire against his chest without burning his clothes? |
| 28Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared? | 28Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet? |
| 29So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent. | 29So it is with the one who has sex with his neighbor's wife; no one who touches her will escape punishment. |
| 30People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. | 30People do not despise a thief when he steals to fulfill his need when he is hungry. |
| 31Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house. | 31Yet if he is caught he must repay seven times over, he might even have to give all the wealth of his house. |
| 32Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul. | 32A man who commits adultery with a woman lacks wisdom, whoever does it destroys his own life. |
| 33Wounds and dishonor he will get, And his reproach will not be wiped away. | 33He will be beaten and despised, and his reproach will not be wiped away; |
| 34For jealousy is a husband’s fury; Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. | 34for jealousy kindles a husband's rage, and he will not show mercy when he takes revenge. |
| 35He will accept no recompense, Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts. | 35He will not consider any compensation; he will not be willing, even if you multiply the compensation. |
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