Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs
A Call to Walk in Wisdom
Translated and Edited by Rodney S. Laughlin Brendan L . Kennedy, PhD
Ecclesiastes Translated by Russell L . Meek, PhD
Birmingham, Alabama
The Readable Bible
The Readable Bible: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
Iron Stream
An imprint of Iron Stream Media 100 Missionary Ridge Birmingham, AL 35242 www.ironstreammedia.com
Copyright © 2022 by Rodney S. Laughlin
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1 2 3 4 5—26 25 24 23 22
v Contents Preface ix To the Reader ix Acknowledgments x Dedication ................................................................................ x Introduction to Proverbs .................................................................. xi Before You Read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii Proverbs ..................................................................................... 1 Ecclesiastes................................................................................ 53 Song of Songs 74 Wisdom Books Glossary ................................................................. 85 Familiar Verses 91 Proverbs 91 Ecclesiastes 95 Song of Songs 96 People List ................................................................................. 97 Proverbs................................................................................. 97 Ecclesiastes ............................................................................. 97 Song of Songs........................................................................... 97 Subject Index ............................................................................. 98 Proverbs................................................................................. 98 Ecclesiastes ............................................................................ 104 Song of Songs.......................................................................... 106 Translation Notes 107 Format and Presentation Notes 108 Nonliteral Words and Phrases Not Footnoted ........................................ 109 Proverbs Proverbs 1 Become Wise .............................................................................. 1 Listen to Wisdom and Live................................................................ 2 Proverbs 2 Find Success, Protection, and Insight..................................................... 3 Proverbs 3 Trust in the Lord for Peace, Favor, and Long Life 4 Find Wisdom and Be Blessed ............................................................. 5 Proverbs 4 Let Wisdom Guide You and Guard You .................................................. 6 Proverbs 5 Do Not Be Destroyed by an Adulteress .................................................. 7
Escape from Dangerous
Awake and Avoid Poverty
of Evil People
Loose Women
Beware of Sinful Women
Proverbs 7
Proverbs 8
11
Treasure Wisdom More Than Silver and Gold 12 Proverbs 9
Fear the Lord and Be Wise 14
of the Foolish Woman
a Wise Child
Practice Righteousness and Prosper
Reap the Rewards of the Wise
Wise Instruction
Your House upon Wisdom
15
10
15 Proverbs 11
17 Proverbs 12
18 Proverbs 13
20 Proverbs 14
22 Proverbs 15
Savor Discipline and Spread Knowledge 24 Proverbs 16
Commit Your Ways to the Lord and Your Plans Will Succeed 26
Proverbs 17
Speak with Love and Wisdom 28 Proverbs 18
Humble and Honor Follows
Keep Your Temper and Overlook an Offense
29 Proverbs 19
20
Travel the Righteous Road to Life........................................................
Proverbs 21
Guard Your Heart and Your Tongue
Find Riches, Honor, and Long Life
Avoid Gluttons and Drunkards
the Wisdom of Your Parents
Proverbs 22
23
vi Proverbs 6
Promises........................................................ 9 Stay
9 Beware
...................................................................... 9 Avoid
..................................................................... 10
................................................................
Beware
...........................................................
Proverbs
Be
...........................................................................
....................................................
..........................................................
Accept
.................................................................
Build
........................................................
Be
..........................................................
........................................... 31 Proverbs
33
..................................................... 34
...................................................... 36 Proverbs
.......................................................... 37 Discover
38
Ecclesiastes
Is Meaningless
vii Proverbs 24 Do Not Envy Evil People .................................................................. 39 Learn Wisdom from the Wise 40 Proverbs 25 Learn from a Wise King 41 Proverbs 26 Do Not Be Wise in Your Own Opinion .................................................. 43 Proverbs 27 Do Not Boast About Tomorrow.......................................................... 44 Proverbs 28 Give to the Poor and Lack Nothing ...................................................... 45 Proverbs 29 Be Stubborn and Be Destroyed .......................................................... 47 Proverbs 30 Trust God as Your Shield ................................................................. 49 Proverbs 31 Conserve Your Strength .................................................................. 51 Find a Godly Wife 51
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 The Writer .............................................................................. 53 The Book ................................................................................ 53 Part 1. Introduction: Everything
Ecclesiastes 1 Key Word: Vapor ................................................................... . 55 Ecclesiastes 2 Pleasure and Possessions Are Vapor .................................................... 56 Wisdom Is Vapor ......................................................................... 57 Work Is Vapor ............................................................................ 57 Ecclesiastes 3 Insight 1: There Is a Time for Everything ............................................. 58 Man and Beast Meet the Same End 59 Ecclesiastes 4 Life Is Worthless 60 Skillful Work and Riches Are Vapor .................................................... 60 Insight 2: Friendship Has Value 61 High Position Is Vapor ................................................................... 61
Part 2. The Collector’s
viii Ecclesiastes 5 Insight 3: Fear God ..................................................................... 61 Riches Are Vapor ......................................................................... 62 Insight 4: Enjoy What God Gives ..................................................... 63 Ecclesiastes 6 Achievement Is Vapor 63
Counsel Ecclesiastes 7 Nuggets of Truth (I) ....................................................................... 65 Note: The Collector’s Method 66 The Collector’s Observations ............................................................ 66 Ecclesiastes 8 The Collector’s Preliminary Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Insight 5: Obey the King 67 Insight 6: Be Joyful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Ecclesiastes 9 Nuggets of Truth (II) ...................................................................... 70 Ecclesiastes 10 Ecclesiastes 11 Ecclesiastes 12 Concluding Insight: Fear God and Keep His Commandments .................... 73 Song of Songs Introduction 74 1 75 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 5 79 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
To the Reader
One day I was standing in an airport bookstore looking for a book to read. I asked myself, “Why am I looking for something to read when I have a Bible in my briefcase?” I answered, “The Bible is hard to read. I want to read something easier.” Then I asked myself, “Why is it so hard to read? You’re a seminary graduate, a former pastor, a Bible teacher!” Thus began a quest that has led to The Readable Bible—the Bible as it would look if Moses, Joshua, Matthew, Mark, Paul, and the other writers had been sitting in front of a computer when God spoke through them.
It seems to me that the Bible is hard to read because all material is presented in sentence format. Today we use tables to present census information and charts for genealogies. When we want something built, we draw up a specification document. Law codes are organized in outline form. We use bullet points, bold text, and other aids to help us grasp information. Yet in today’s Bibles, all the information is still presented in sentence format in plain text. Surely those men of old would have used modern formats if they had known about them when God spoke through them. Modern formatting does not change the information; it simply presents it in a way that makes it easier to grasp. The Readable Bible brings you the biblical text in modern formats.
You may struggle with the idea of Scripture in modern formats. Actually, all of today’s Bibles present the text in a form much different from that of the original manuscripts. Consider how many format changes that were developed over the past two thousand years led to the format considered normal today. Each change was radical in its time:
• Vowels: The earliest Hebrew manuscripts have no vowels; they were added hundreds of years later.
• Capital Letters: The Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament manuscripts have no uppercase and lowercase letters.
• Punctuation: The original manuscripts have no punctuation (no commas or periods!).
• Chapter Numbers: These were not common in Bibles until the thirteenth century AD.
• Verse Numbers: The first verse-numbering system was developed over a thousand years after the last Bible book was written. It had one-third of today’s verse numbers, making verses three or four times longer. Today’s Christian Bible numbering system was not developed until the sixteenth century.
• Paragraphs: The first paragraphed King James Bible was published in the mid-1800s.
So presenting the words of Scripture in tables, cascading the text of long, complex sentences, and using other modern formatting techniques is simply continuing the long-term trend of making the Bible easier to understand.
ix Preface
Our hope is that people who have never read the Bible will decide to read this version because it is so approachable. Please give a copy to someone who struggles to understand the Bible and, especially, to those who do not read the Bible.
Acknowledgments
My thanks to all the members of our editing team, our volunteer development team, and the many others who have donated funds and worked to bring The Readable Bible to completion.
A big “thank you” to my designer and partner in this project, Clyde Adams, for joining me in this faith venture. He has turned the translation into well-laid-out text and my formatting concepts into reality. The maps, tables, charts, book layout, and cover are all his work.
Most of all, I thank my wife, Rebecca, for her ideas, her love, and her strong support of this endeavor over the past twelve years.
Dedication
And now I dedicate to our Lord this translation of his holy Word, humbly asking him to grant that it may bring forth fruit to his glory and the building up of his people.
L
Spring 2022
x
Introduction to Proverbsa
The book of Proverbs was written to help people learn wisdom and develop the discipline required for a godly life, one that will be fruitful in God’s eyes. It provides moral instruction and practical advice on how to behave. These timeless truths are as relevant for our lives today as they were in Israel three thousand years ago.
The compiler of Proverbs is anonymous. The largest portion of the book is traditionally attributed to King Solomon because Proverbs 1:1 says, “The Proverbs of Solomon,” and because 1 Kings 4:32 tells us he wrote more than three thousand proverbs. But the Hebrew there could just as easily mean “written for Solomon” or “written in the style of Solomon.” Smaller portions are attributed to Agur son of Jakeh and King Lemuel,b about whom nothing is known.
Most of the book of Proverbs consists of short, pithy sayings that communicate what has been observed by godly people to be generally true. Their brevity makes them quite memorable, but it often makes them more complex than would appear at first glance. Many proverbs invite the reader to pause and ponder in order to squeeze out the real meaning that the author intended.
The first nine chapters are extended poetry. They focus on the need to learn wisdom and avoid getting close to evil people. They are followed by twenty-three chapters of short sayings, advice given by an old, wise father or teacher to a son or student. The book ends with Proverbs 31:10–31, the famous poem about the worthy wife, a song of praise for a godly, hardworking wife from her proud, admiring husband.
It is impossible to assign a date to the book of Proverbs. Solomon’s contribution would have been written during his reign, 970–930 BC. God granted him wisdom as an answer to his prayer, “Give me wisdom and understanding to lead this people.”c The “men of Hezekiah” compiled some of it d between 750 and 700 BC. No one knows when Agur (30:1) or King Lemuel lived. Most likely, many different wise, inspired people composed Proverbs over several centuries, completing it no later than 400 BC.
There is little order in Proverbs. Section boundaries are hard to determine and may even appear arbitrary. Thus, section headings are only general guides and may reflect only one of several themes in the section.
Many proverbs are directed to “my son” or “sons.” A masculine address was appropriate in the author’s time and place, because most of those proverbs would have been relevant to men rather than women. In modern times the vast majority of such advice is appropriate for anyone, regardless of gender. On the other hand, the Hebrew word for “wisdom” is grammatically feminine and is often personified in the Bible as a woman (though it too is relevant to anyone).
Read the book for its reliable insights into human nature and the ways of the world. Reflect deeply over the sayings that seem obscure. Practice one proverb a day, and you will avoid many of life’s pitfalls—and you will learn wisdom.
a “Proverbs”: the first word of the Hebrew text, which refers to short, pithy sayings that convey values and/ or desired moral behavior and/or general truths.
b See Proverbs 10 and 31, respectively.
c See 2 Chronicles 1:10.
d See Proverbs 25:1.
xi
Before You Read
Words in italics are additions to the biblical text. In the context of commands, rules, and regulations, “shall,” “must,” and “are/is to” are equal terms, all the same strength. Read lists from top to bottom in the first column then read the next column.
We encourage you to read “Translation Notes” and “Format and Presentation Notes” in the back of the book. They are easy reading and will increase your understanding of the text.
Please browse the glossary before you begin reading. You will find helpful information about words that appear frequently in this book, as well as important explanations of the words “L” and “Yahweh.”
xii
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, Become Wise
2 to know wisdom and instruction, understand words of insight, and 3 acquire instruction in prudent behavior, righteousness, justice, and fairness; 4 give the simple shrewdness and give the young knowledge and discretion.
5 The wise may listen and increase in learning, and the discerning may acquire sound guidance— 6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the L is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction; do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath for your head and ornaments for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not go along; 11 if they say to you, “Come with us!
We will lie in wait for blood.
Let’s ambush the innocent without cause.
12 Let’s swallow them up alive like the grave— alive and whole like those who go down to the pit.
13 We’ll find all kinds of precious wealth and fill our houses with loot.
14 Throw in your lot with us. We’ll share all the plunder.”a
15 My son, don’t go on the road with them. Keep your foot from their paths,
16 for their feet rush into evil and they hurry to spill blood.
17 How useless it is to spread the net where every bird can see.b
a Literally, “We will have a common purse.”
b Literally, “How useless for a net to be spread before the eyes of every master of wings.”
1 Proverbs Proverbs 1
18 They are lying in wait for their own blood; they will ambush their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of all who gain by violence; it takes away the life of its owners.
Listen to Wisdom and Live
20 Wisdom shouts aloud in the streets; she raises her voice in the squares; 21 she calls out from the top of walls;a she gives her speech at the city gates, saying,
22 “How long will you simpletons love ignorance, you mockers delight in mockery, and you fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn to my correction!
Look, I will pour out my thoughtsb to you; I will make my teachings known to you.
24 But since you refused to listen when I called, no one paid attention when I stretched out my hand, and 25 you neglected all my counsel and did not accept my correction, 26 I, yes I, will laugh at your disaster. I will mock you when panic overtakes you, 27 when terror comes upon you like a storm, when your disaster arrives like a gale, and when distress and trouble come upon you.
28 Then they will call out to me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently but will not find me, 29 because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the L; 30 they did not accept my counsel; they spurned all my correction.
31 Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their way, and they will be stuffed with the consequences of their schemes. 32 For the waywardness of simpletons will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But the one who listens to me will dwell in safety and be at ease from the terror of evil.”
a From the Septuagint; Masoretic text: “at the head of a noisy place.” b Or “my spirit.”
2
Find Success, Protection, and Insight
1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commandments within you—
2 applying your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding— 3 indeed, if you call out for discernment and raise your voice for insight—
4 seeking it like silver and searching it out like hidden treasure—
5 then you will understand the fear of the L
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the L
grants a person wisdom, and knowledge and insight are from his mouth.
7 He stores up success for the upright, and he is a shield for those who walk with integrity, 8 guarding the paths of justice and protecting the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and upright behavior, and justice, and every good path.
10 Wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul.
11 Discretion will watch over you, and insight will guard you, 12 to rescue you from the evil path, from the man with twisteda speech, 13 those who forsake upright paths to walk in evil ways, 14 delight in doing evil, and rejoice over perverse evil— 15 from those whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.
Literally, “with perverted speech.”
3 Proverbs 2
a
16 Wisdom will rescue you from the faithless woman,a from the adulterous wife, a seductress with words, 17 who has deserted the partner of her youth and who has forgotten the covenant she made before God.b
18 For to enter her house is to sink into death; her paths lead to the dead.
19 No one who goes to her will return; they do not attain the paths of life.
20 Therefore walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For 21 the upright will dwell in the land, and those who have integrity will remain in it. 22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted from it.
3 Proverbs
Trust in the Lord for Peace, Favor, and Long Life
1 My son, do not forget my instruction; may your heart hang on to my commands, 2 for they will add to the length of your days and the years of your life and bring you peace.
3 May lovingkindness and truth not leave you; bind them around your neck and write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will find favor and a high regardc in the eyes of God and people.
5 Trust in the L with all your heart,d and do not rely on your own insight.
6 Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; rather, fear the L and turn from evil.
8 It will be healing to your fleshe and refreshment to your bones.
a Literally, “foreign woman.”
b Literally, “made of her God.”
c Literally, “find favor and good success.”
d “Heart” means “understanding” when used this way.
e From the Septuagint; Masoretic text: “umbilical cord.”
4
9 Honor the L with your wealth and from the first of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be full to the top,a and your vats will overflow with wine.
11 Do not reject the discipline of the L, my son; do not abhor his rebuke, 12 for the L corrects those whom he loves, like a father corrects the child with whom he is pleased.
Find Wisdom and Be Blessed
Blessed is the person who finds wisdom, the person who obtains understanding , 14 for her benefit is better than silver; her yield is better than fine gold.
13
15 She is more precious than jewels —none of your desires compare to her.
16 Long life b is in her right hand; in her left are wealth and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant,c and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to all who seize her. Those who hold fast to her are blessed.
19 The L founded the earth by wisdom; he established the skies by understanding.
20 By his knowledge the watery depths were broken open, and the clouds drip dew.
21 My son, guard sound wisdom and discretion. Do not lose sight of them.d
22 They will be life for your soul and a graceful garland for your neck.
23 Then you will walk safely along your way; your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not fear; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not fear sudden terror or the destruction of the wicked ones when it comes, 26 for the L will be at your side, and he will guard your foot from being caught.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,e when it is in your power to do it. f
28 When you have it,g do not say to your neighbor, “Go, then come back tomorrow and I will give it.”
29 Do not plot evil against your neighbor, who lives in safety nearby.
a Literally, “to satiety.”
b Literally, “Length of days.”
c Literally, “Her ways are ways of pleasantness.”
d Literally, “May they not depart from your sight.” e Literally, “from its owner.”
f Literally, “in the power of your hand.” g Literally, “When it is with you.”
5
30 Do not bring a lawsuit against anyone who has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a violent person nor choose any of their ways.
32 For the crooked person is an abomination to the L
but the upright are his confidants.
33 The L
curse is on the wicked person’s house, but he blesses the home of the righteous.
34 He scoffs at the scoffers, but he grants favor to the oppressed.
35 The wise inherit honor, but fools get shame.
4 Proverbs
Let Wisdom Guide You and Guard You
1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention to knowledge and insight.a
2 I will give you good teaching; do not forsake my instruction.
3 When I was a son to my father, tender, and the only son of my mother, 4 he taught me and said, “May your heart grasp my words; keep my commands and live.
5 Acquire wisdom; acquire understanding. Neither forget nor turn from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will watch over you; love her, and she will guard you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is to get wisdom. Among everything else you acquire, get understanding. 8 Esteem her highly, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.
9 She will place a garland of favor b on your head; she will present you with a glorious crown.”
10 Listen, my son, and accept my speech; then the years of your life will be many.
11 I have instructed you about the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths, that 12 your steps will not be hampered when you walk, and you will not stumble when you run.
13 Take hold of instruction! Do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.
a Or “to know insight.”
b Or “of grace.”
6
,
’s
14
Do not go down the paths of wicked people. Don’t walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it; do not go that way; turn aside from it and go on.
16 For the wicked cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of sleep until they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness and drink violence like wine.
18 But the way of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines brighter and brighter until full daylight.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to my sayings; turn your ear to my words.
21 Do not lose sight of them;a keep them within your heart, 22 for they are life to those who find them—healing for the entire body.
23 Guard your heart with all diligence,b for out of it flows all you do.c
24 Put lyingd far away from yourself; stay away from devious talk.
25 Your eyes should look straight ahead; let your gaze be fixed straight ahead.
26 Watch carefully the path for your feet, and all your ways will be on solid ground.e
27 Turn neither right nor left; keep your foot from evil.
Do Not Be Destroyed by an Adulteress
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom; turn your ear to my understanding
2 so that you preserve discretion, so your lips may guard knowledge.
a Literally, “Do not let them depart from your eyes.”
b From the Septuagint; Masoretic text: “from all diligence.”
c Literally, “for from it are the sources of life.”
d Literally, “Put a crooked mouth.”
e Literally, “be established.”
7
Proverbs 5
3 The lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speecha is smoother than oil.
4 But in the end, she is bitter as wormwood,b sharp as a double-edged sword.c
5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.d
6 She does not see the way of life; her paths wander, but she does not know it.
7 Now sons, listen to me; do not turn from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your ways far from the adulteress; do not go near the door of her house, 9 or else you give your honor to others and your years to one who is cruel; 10 strangers will be satisfied with your wealth; the fruit of your labors will end up in the house of a foreigner, and 11 at the end of your life, you will groan. When your flesh and body are spent, 12 you will say, “How I hated warnings. My heart spurned reproof. 13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers. I did not turn my ear to my instructors. 14 I was soone in utter ruin in the midst of the assembled congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern, fresh water from your own well. 16 Should your springs be scattered in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? 17 Let them be for you alone and not for strangers with you.
18 May your fountain be blessed—rejoice in the wife of your youth, 19 a loving deer and a graceful doe. May her breasts satisfy f you at all times; may you be enraptured with love for her!
20 Why be intoxicated with an adulteress, my son, or embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?
21 For the ways of people are before the eyes of the L
He observes all their paths.
22 The iniquity of the wicked capture them; they are seized by the cords of their sin.
23 They will die because they did not accept instruction—led astray by their great foolishness.
a Literally, “her mouth.”
b “Wormwood”: an herb (Artemisia absinthium) that produces an extraordinarily bitter-tasting oil.
c Literally, “a two-mouthed sword.”
d Literally, “her steps take hold of the grave.”
e Or “I was almost in.”
f Literally, “drench” or “saturate.”
8
.
Escape from Dangerous Promises
1 If, my son, you have put up security for your neighbor, you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, or 2 you have been trapped by what you said a captured by the words of your mouth—
3 then do this, my son: Free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s power!b Go, make tracksc and pester that person to release you.
Do not allow sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids!
5 Free yourself like a gazelle; run from the hunter’s hand, like a bird from the hand of the bird catcher.
Stay Awake and Avoid Poverty
6 Go look at the ant, you lazybones; note its ways and become wise.
Even though it has no leader, officer, or ruler, 8 it prepares its food during summer and gathers its provisions at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you lazybones? When will you rise up from your sleep?
10 If you live for a little sleep, a little slumber, for a little folding of the hands for rest, 11 your poverty will come upon you like a robber, and your need will catch you like an armed man.
Beware of Evil People
12 A worthless and wicked person goes around with deceptive speech,d 13 winking his eye, signaling with his feet, and motioning with his fingers.
14 Perversity is in his heart, always plotting evil, spreading discord.
15 Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; instantly he will be broken beyond recovery.
16 The L
hates six things, and these seven things are an abomination to him:
haughty eyes, a deceiving tongue, hands that spill innocent blood,
a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that hurry and run to evil,
a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads discord among brothers.
a Literally, “been ensnared by the words of your mouth.”
b Literally, “since you have come into the hand of your neighbor.”
c The Hebrew is uncertain. It has something to do with treading or muddying.
Literally, “a crooked mouth.”
9 Proverbs 6
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7
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d
Avoid Loose Women
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My son, keep your father’s commands, and do not forsake your mother’s instruction.
21 Bind them on your heart continually; tie them around your neck.
22 They will guide you when you walk about, watch over you when you lie down, and speak to you when you are awake.a
23 For a commandment is a lamp and instruction is a light; corrective reproof is the way to life, 24 guarding you from an evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not be taken by her fluttering eyelids.
26 For on account of a loose woman, you will be reduced to nothing but a loaf of bread, and another man’s wife will hunt for your precious life.
27 Can a man embrace fireb and his clothes not be burned 28 or walk on burning coals and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is the one who sleeps withc his neighbor’s wife; no one who touches her will be exempt from punishment.
30 No one despises a thief if he steals to eat enough to satisfy himself d when he is hungry;
31 but if he is found out, he must repay sevenfold, even if he has to give up all his household goods.
32 In light of this, the man who commits adultery lacks sense. Whoever does that destroys himself.
33 He will find nothing but blows and curses. His shame will never be wiped out.
34 This is because jealousy enrages a man, and he will show no mercy on the day he takes revenge. 35 He will accept no payoff, nor will he agree to any amount of compensation.e
a See Deuteronomy 6:7.
b Literally, “snatch up fire to his bosom.”
c Literally, “goes in to.”
d Literally, “to fill his soul.”
e Literally, “He will not be willing, though gifts multiply.”
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