Warning against suretyship
1
My sonne, if thou be surety for thy neighbour, and hast striken hands with the stranger,
2
Thou art snared with the wordes of thy mouth: thou art euen taken with the woordes of thine owne mouth.
3
Doe this nowe, my sonne, and deliuer thy selfe: seeing thou art come into the hande of thy neighbour, goe, and humble thy selfe, and sollicite thy friends.
4
Giue no sleepe to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5
Deliuer thy selfe as a doe from the hande of the hunter, and as a birde from the hande of the fouler.
Warning against laziness
6
Goe to the pismire, O sluggarde: beholde her waies, and be wise.
7
For shee hauing no guide, gouernour, nor ruler,
8
Prepareth her meat in the sommer, and gathereth her foode in haruest.
9
Howe long wilt thou sleepe, O sluggarde? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe?
10
Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the hands to sleepe.
11
Therefore thy pouertie commeth as one that trauaileth by the way, and thy necessitie like an armed man.
Warning against falsehood
12
The vnthriftie man and the wicked man walketh with a froward mouth.
13
He maketh a signe with his eyes: he signifieth with his feete: he instructeth with his fingers.
14
Lewde things are in his heart: he imagineth euill at all times, and raiseth vp contentions.
15
Therefore shall his destruction come speedily: hee shall be destroyed suddenly without recouerie.
Prevention of seven sins
16
These sixe things doeth the Lord hate: yea, his soule abhorreth seuen:
17
The hautie eyes, a lying tongue, and the hands that shed innocent blood,
18
An heart that imagineth wicked enterprises, feete that be swift in running to mischiefe,
19
A false witnesse that speaketh lyes, and him that rayseth vp contentions among brethren.
Prevention against adultery
20
My sonne, keepe thy fathers commandement, and forsake not thy mothers instruction.
21
Binde them alway vpon thine heart, and tye them about thy necke.
22
It shall leade thee, when thou walkest: it shall watch for thee, when thou sleepest, and when thou wakest, it shall talke with thee.
23
For the commandement is a lanterne, and instruction a light: and corrections for instruction are the way of life,
24
To keepe thee from the wicked woman, and from ye flatterie of ye tongue of a strange woman.
25
Desire not her beautie in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eye lids.
26
For because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread, and a woman wil hunt for the precious life of a man.
27
Can a man take fire in his bosome, and his clothes not be burnt?
28
Or can a man go vpon coales, and his feete not be burnt?
29
So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife, shall not be innocent, whosoeuer toucheth her.
30
Men do not despise a thiefe, when he stealeth, to satisfie his soule, because he is hungrie.
31
But if he be founde, he shall restore seuen folde, or he shall giue all the substance of his house.
32
But he that committeth adulterie with a woman, he is destitute of vnderstanding: he that doeth it, destroyeth his owne soule.
33
He shall finde a wounde and dishonour, and his reproch shall neuer be put away.
34
For ielousie is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35
He cannot beare the sight of any raunsome: neither will he consent, though thou augment the giftes.