Proverbs 6
6
Avoid Disaster
1My son,
if you guarantee a loan for your neighbor
or pledge yourself for a stranger with a handshake,
2you are trapped by the words of your own mouth,
caught by your own promise.
3Do the following things, my son, so that you may free yourself,
because you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:
Humble yourself,
and pester your neighbor.
4Don’t let your eyes rest
or your eyelids close.
5Free yourself like a gazelle from the hand of a hunter
and like a bird from the hand of a hunter.
6Consider the ant, you lazy bum.
Watch its ways, and become wise.
7Although it has no overseer, officer, or ruler,
8in summertime it stores its food supply.
At harvest time it gathers its food.
9How long will you lie there, you lazy bum?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10“Just a little sleep,
just a little slumber,
just a little nap.”
11Then your poverty will come ⌞to you⌟ like a drifter,
and your need will come ⌞to you⌟ like a bandit.
12A good-for-nothing scoundrel is a person who has a dishonest mouth.
13He winks his eye,
makes a signal with his foot,
⌞and⌟ points with his fingers.
14He devises evil all the time with a twisted mind.
He spreads conflict.
15That is why disaster will come on him suddenly.
In a moment he will be crushed beyond recovery.
16There are six things that the Lord hates,
even seven that are disgusting to him:
17arrogant eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill innocent people,
18a mind devising wicked plans,
feet that are quick to do wrong,
19a dishonest witness spitting out lies,
and a person who spreads conflict among relatives.
More Advice about Avoiding Adultery
20My son,
obey the command of your father,
and do not disregard the teachings of your mother.
21Fasten them on your heart forever.
Hang them around your neck.
22When you walk around, they will lead you.
When you lie down, they will watch over you.
When you wake up, they will talk to you
23because the command is a lamp,
the teachings are a light,
and the warnings from discipline are the path of life
24to keep you from an evil woman
and from the smooth talk of a loose woman.
25Do not desire her beauty in your heart.
Do not let her catch you with her eyes.
26A prostitute’s price is ⌞only⌟ a loaf of bread,
but a married woman hunts for ⌞your⌟ life itself.
27Can a man carry fire in his lap
without burning his clothes?
28Can anyone walk on red-hot coals
without burning his feet?
29So it is with a man who has sex with his neighbor’s wife.
None who touch her will escape punishment.
30People do not despise a thief who is hungry
when he steals to satisfy his appetite,
31but when he is caught,
he has to repay it seven times.
He must give up all the possessions in his house.
32Whoever commits adultery with a woman has no sense.
Whoever does this destroys himself.
33An adulterous man will find disease #6:33 Or “wounds.” and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be blotted out,
34because jealousy arouses a husband’s fury.
The husband will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35No amount of money will change his mind.
The largest bribe will not satisfy him.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 6
6
Words of Wisdom
1My son, if you cosign a loan for an acquaintance
and guarantee his debt,
you’ll be sorry that you ever did it!
2You’ll be trapped by your promise
and legally bound by the agreement.
So listen carefully to my advice:
3Quickly get out of it if you possibly can!
Swallow your pride, get over your embarrassment,
and go tell your “friend” you want your name # 6:3 There is an implication in the Hebrew that the one whose loan was cosigned for is no longer a friend. The Hebrew word can also be translated “apostate.” off that contract.
4Don’t put it off, and don’t rest until you get it done.
5Rescue yourself from future pain # 6:5 The Hebrew word means “trap.”
and be free from it once and for all.
You’ll be so relieved that you did! # 6:5 The life lesson to learn is that even when considering something that seems to be good, there may be unexpected consequences that should be considered before obligating yourself.
Life Lessons
6When you’re feeling lazy,
come and learn a lesson from this tale of the tiny ant.
Yes, all you lazybones, come learn
from the example of the ant and enter into wisdom.
7The ants have no chief, no boss, no manager—
no one has to tell them what to do.
8You’ll see them working and toiling all summer long,
stockpiling their food in preparation for winter.
9So wake up, sleepyhead. How long will you lie there?
When will you wake up and get out of bed?
10If you keep nodding off and thinking, “I’ll do it later,”
or say to yourself, “I’ll just sit back awhile and take it easy,”
just watch how the future unfolds!
11By making excuses you’ll learn what it means to go without.
Poverty will pounce on you like a bandit # 6:11 Or “vagabond.” The Hebrew phrase here is literally translated “one who walks (away).”
and move in as your roommate for life. # 6:11 The life lesson from Solomon’s parable is this: the ant only lives six months yet stores more food than it will ever consume. We should learn the wisdom of preparing for the future and frugality in the present. Don’t put off for the future the preparations you should make today. Now is always better than later. Today is the day to choose what’s right and serve the Lord.
12-13Here’s another life lesson to learn
from observing wayward and wicked men. # 6:12–13 The Hebrew word translated “wayward and wicked man” is actually “a man of Belial.” This is a metaphor for a worthless man who worships other gods. The name Belial is found in numerous Dead Sea scrolls as a term for Satan.
You can tell they are lawless.
They’re constant liars, proud deceivers,
full of clever ploys and convincing plots. # 6:12–13 The Hebrew gives a picture of those who “wink their eyes, shuffle their feet, and point their fingers.” This is a figure of speech for the devious ways of the wicked.
14Their twisted thoughts are perverse,
and they are always scheming to stir up trouble,
and sowing strife with every step they take.
15But when calamity comes knocking on their door,
suddenly and without warning they’re undone—
broken to bits, shattered, with no hope of healing. # 6:15 The life lesson here is this: the clever and devious may look like they’re getting ahead in life, but their path guarantees destruction, with no one to help them out of it.
Seven Things God Hates
16There are six evils God truly hates
and a seventh # 6:16 The number seven is the number of fullness and completion. The poetic form here is stating that evil in its fullness is an abomination to God. The seven things are a description of the sin of man that stands in the temple of our bodies attempting to usurp God. that is an abomination to him:
17Putting others down while considering yourself superior,
spreading lies and rumors,
spilling the blood of the innocent,
18plotting evil in your heart toward another,
gloating over doing what’s plainly wrong,
19spouting lies in false testimony,
and stirring up strife between friends. # 6:19 The Aramaic is “deception among brothers.”
These are entirely despicable to God!
20My son, obey your father’s godly instruction
and follow your mother’s life-giving teaching. # 6:20 For the New Testament believer, our mother is the church, who nurtures us and feeds us life-giving words. See Gal. 4:21–31.
21Fill your heart with their advice
and let your life be shaped by what they’ve taught you. # 6:21 Or “Bind their words on your heart and tie them around your neck.”
22Their wisdom will guide you wherever you go
and keep you from bringing harm to yourself.
Their instruction will whisper to you at every sunrise
and direct you through a brand-new day.
23For truth # 6:23 Or “Torah.” is a bright beam of light
shining into every area of your life,
instructing and correcting you to discover the ways to godly living.
Truth or Consequences
24-25Truth will protect you from immorality
and from the promiscuity of another man’s wife.
Your heart won’t be enticed by her flatteries # 6:24–25 Or “Don’t let her captivate you with her fluttering eyelids.”
or lust over her beauty—
nor will her suggestive ways conquer you.
26Prostitutes reduce a man to poverty, # 6:26 Or “to beg for a loaf of bread.”
and the adulteress steals your soul—
she may even cost you your life! # 6:26 The Hebrew phrase here is literally translated “she hunts for your precious soul.”
27For how can a man light his pants on fire and not be burned?
28Can he walk over hot coals of fire # 6:28 A picture of the lusts of the flesh. and not blister his feet?
29What makes you think that you can sleep with another man’s wife
and not get caught?
Do you really think you’ll get away with it?
Don’t you know it will ruin your life?
30You can almost excuse a thief if he steals to feed his own family.
31But if he’s caught, he still has to pay back what he stole sevenfold;
his punishment and fine will cost him greatly.
32Don’t be so stupid as to think
you can get away with your adultery.
It will destroy your life, # 6:32 Or “The destroyer of your soul will do this.” and you’ll pay the price
for the rest of your days.
33You’ll discover what humiliation, shame,
and disgrace are all about,
for no one will ever let you forget what you’ve done.
34A husband’s jealousy makes a man furious;
he won’t spare you when he comes to take revenge.
35Try all you want to talk your way out of it—
offer him a bribe and see if you can manipulate him
with your money.
Nothing will turn him aside
when he comes to you with vengeance in his eyes!
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