Proverbs 6:1-19

English Standard Version

Practical Warnings

6 My son, if you have put up ^(A)security for your neighbor,
    have ^(B)given your pledge for a stranger,
²if you are ^(C)snared in the words of your mouth,
    caught in the words of your mouth,
³then do this, my son, and save yourself,
    for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
    go, hasten,^[a] and ^(D)plead urgently with your neighbor.
⁴^(E)Give your eyes no sleep
    and your eyelids no slumber;
⁵save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,^[b]
    ^(F)like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶^(G)Go to ^(H)the ant, O ^(I)sluggard;
    consider her ways, and ^(J)be wise.
⁷^(K)Without having any chief,
    ^(L)officer, or ruler,
⁸she prepares her bread ^(M)in summer
    and ^(N)gathers her food in harvest.
⁹^(O)How long will you lie there, ^(P)O sluggard?
    When will you arise from your sleep?
¹⁰^(Q)A little sleep, a little slumber,
    ^(R)a little ^(S)folding of the hands to rest,
¹¹^(T)and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want like an armed man.

¹²^(U)A worthless person, a wicked man,
    goes about with ^(V)crooked speech,
¹³^(W)winks with his eyes, signals^[c] with his feet,
    points with his finger,
¹⁴with ^(X)perverted heart ^(Y)devises evil,
    continually ^(Z)sowing discord;
¹⁵therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
    ^(AA)in a moment he will be broken ^(AB)beyond healing.

¹⁶There are ^(AC)six things that the Lord hates,
    ^(AD)seven that are an abomination to him:
¹⁷^(AE)haughty eyes, ^(AF)a lying tongue,
    and ^(AG)hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸^(AH)a heart that devises wicked plans,
    ^(AI)feet that make haste to run to evil,
¹⁹^(AJ)a false witness who ^(AK)breathes out lies,
    and one who ^(AL)sows discord among brothers.