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My son, if thou become surety for thy friend, Thou shalt deliver thy hand to an enemy.
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For a man’s own lips become a strong snare to him, And he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.
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My son, do what I command thee, and deliver thyself; For on thy friend’s account thou art come into the power of evil men: Faint not, But stir up even thy friend for whom thou art become surety.
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Give not sleep to thine eyes, Nor slumber with thine eyelids;
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That thou mayest deliver thyself as a doe out of the toils, And as a bird out of a snare.
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Go to the ant, O sluggard; And see, and emulate his ways, And become wiser than he.
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For whereas he has no husbandry, Nor anyone to compel him, And is under no master,
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He prepares food for himself in the summer, And lays by abundant store in harvest. And learn how diligent she is, And how earnestly she is engaged in her work; And she is desired and respected by all: She is advanced by honoring wisdom.
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And when wilt thou awake out of sleep?
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time, And thou foldest thine arms over thy breast a little.
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And want as a swift courier: And poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.
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Goes in ways that are not good.
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And teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.
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His perverse heart devises evils: At all times such a one causes troubles to a city.
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Overthrow and irretrievable ruin.
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And he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.
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Hands shedding the blood of the just;
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And feet hastening to do evil—are hateful to God.
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And brings on quarrels between brethren.
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My son, keep the laws of thy father, And reject not the ordinances of thy mother:
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And hang them as a chain about thy neck.
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And when thou sleepest let it keep thee; That it may talk with thee when thou wakest.
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A way of life; reproof also and correction:
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And from the calumny of a strange tongue.
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Neither be thou caught by thine eyes, Neither be captivated with her eyelids.
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And a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.
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And not burn his garments?
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And not burn his feet?
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He shall not be held guiltless, neither anyone that touches her.
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For he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:
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And shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.
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And his reproach shall never be wiped off.
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He will not spare in the day of vengeance.
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his enmity for any ransom: Neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.