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Proverbs chapter 6

English Standard Version

1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, 2if you are 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, and plead urgently with your neighbor. 4 Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; 5save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler. 6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. 12 A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, 13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, 14with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; 15therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. 16There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. 20 My son, keep your father 's commandment, and forsake not your mother 's teaching. 21 Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. 23For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, 24to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. 25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; 26for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life. 27Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? 28Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? 29So is he who goes in to his neighbor 's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished. 30People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, 31but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. 32He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. 33He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. 34For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. 35He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts.
New International Version

1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, 2you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth. 3So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion— and give your neighbor no rest! 4Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.
5Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler. 6Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! 7It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
8yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. 9How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? 10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
11and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. 12A troublemaker and a villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth, 13who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers, 14who plots evil with deceit in his heart— he always stirs up conflict.
15Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy. 16There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. 20My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 21Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. 22When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. 23For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life,
24keeping you from your neighbor’s wife, from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.
25Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. 26For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another man’s wife preys on your very life. 27Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? 28Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?
29So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. 30People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. 31Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. 32But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself.
33Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away. 34For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. 35He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.
New American Standard Bible

1My son, if you have become a guarantor for your neighbor, Or have given a handshake for a stranger, 2 If you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth, Or caught by the words of your mouth, 3Then do this, my son, and save yourself: Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself. 4Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids; 5Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler. 6Go to the ant, you lazy one, Observe its ways and be wise, 7Which, having no chief, Officer, or ruler, 8Prepares its food in the summer And gathers its provision in the harvest. 9How long will you lie down, you lazy one? When will you arise from your sleep? 10'A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,' 11Then your poverty will come in like a drifter, And your need like an armed man. 12A worthless person, a wicked man, Is one who walks with a perverse mouth, 13Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers; 14Who, with perversion in his heart, continually devises evil, Who spreads strife. 15Therefore his disaster will come suddenly; Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing. 16There are six things that the Lord hates, Seven that are an abomination to Him: 17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19A false witness who declares lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers. 20My son, comply with the commandment of your father, And do not ignore the teaching of your mother; 21Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. 22When you walk, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you. 23For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And rebukes for discipline are the way of life 24To keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the foreign woman. 25Do not desire her beauty in your heart, Nor let her capture you with her eyelids. 26For the price of a prostitute reduces one to a loaf of bread, And an adulteress hunts for a precious life. 27Can anyone take fire in his lap And his clothes not be burned? 28Or can a person walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched? 29So is the one who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her will not go unpunished. 30 People do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry; 31But when he is found, he must repay seven times as much; He must give up all the property of his house. 32One who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself commits it. 33He will find wounds and disgrace, And his shame will not be removed. 34For jealousy enrages a man, And he will not have compassion on the day of vengeance. 35He will not accept any settlement, Nor will he be satisfied though you make it a large gift.
Christian Standard Bible

1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor or entered into an agreement with a stranger, 2you have been snared by the words of your mouth trapped by the words from your mouth. 3Do this, then, my son, and free yourself, for you have put yourself in your neighbor’s power: Go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor. 4Don’t give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. 5Escape like a gazelle from a hunter, like a bird from a hunter’s trap. 6Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. 7Without leader, administrator, or ruler, 8it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest. 9How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? 10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, 11and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit. 12A worthless person, a wicked man goes around speaking dishonestly, 13winking his eyes, signaling with his feet, and gesturing with his fingers. 14He always plots evil with perversity in his heart; he stirs up trouble. 15Therefore calamity will strike him suddenly; he will be shattered instantly, beyond recovery. 16The Lord hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to him: 17arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil, 19a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among brothers. 20My son, keep your father’s command, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching. 21Always bind them to your heart; tie them around your neck. 22When you walk here and there, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you. 23For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life. 24They will protect you from an evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a wayward woman. 25Don’t lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyelashes. 26For a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread, but the wife of another man goes after a precious life. 27Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned? 28Can a man walk on burning coals without scorching his feet? 29So it is with the one who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. 30People don’t despise the thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry. 31Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much; he must give up all the wealth in his house. 32The one who commits adultery lacks sense; whoever does so destroys himself. 33He will get a beating and dishonor, and his disgrace will never be removed. 34For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. 35He will not be appeased by anything or be persuaded by lavish bribes.
New Living Translation

1My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger — 2if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said — 3follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. 4Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do. 5Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.
6Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! 7Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, 8they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. 9But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? 10A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — 11then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
12What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars, 13signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers. 14Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble. 15But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.
16There are six things the Lord hates — no, seven things he detests: 17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, 18a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, 19a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.
20My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. 21Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. 22When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you. 23For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life. 24It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman. 25Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coy glances seduce you. 26For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life. 27Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire? 28Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? 29So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished.
30Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving. 31But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house. 32But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself. 33He will be wounded and disgraced. His shame will never be erased. 34For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. 35He will accept no compensation, nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.
King James Version

1My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
3Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
4Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
12A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
13He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
21Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
22When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
27Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
New King James Version

1My son, if you become surety for your friend, If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, 2You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. 3So do this, my son, and deliver yourself; For you have come into the hand of your friend: Go and humble yourself; Plead with your friend. 4 Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids. 5Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler. 6 Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, 7Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, 8Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. 9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? 10A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man. 12A worthless person, a wicked man, Walks with a perverse mouth; 13 He winks with his eyes, He shuffles his feet, He points with his fingers; 14Perversity is in his heart, He devises evil continually, He sows discord. 15Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy. 16These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. 20 My son, keep your father’s command, And do not forsake the law of your mother. 21 Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. 22 When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you. 23 For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life, 24 To keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress. 25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids. 26For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. 27Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? 28Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared? 29So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent. 30 People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. 31Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house. 32Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul. 33Wounds and dishonor he will get, And his reproach will not be wiped away. 34For jealousy is a husband’s fury; Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35He will accept no recompense, Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.

What does Proverbs chapter 6 mean?

Solomon continues to impart wise sayings to his "son," which might also mean his student or students.

The first of the wise lessons in this chapter relates to wisely caring for one's existing wealth. Solomon especially urges his son to avoid financial entanglements by not entering into a surety agreement. In rough terms, this means being extremely cautious about cosigning a loan. If he does cosign, and realizes he's gotten into a risky situation, he should try to get out of the deal even if doing so causes humiliation. While this does not prohibit all forms of debt or lending, this Scripture strongly advises being careful not to waste what has been earned (Proverbs 6:1–5).

Just as cosigning for an untrustworthy person might cause poverty, laziness is another way a person can become destitute. Solomon tells his son to consider the ant. Without supervision, it works hard to meet its needs both present and future. Unless a person works, poverty will overtake him as surely as a robber or an armed man overtakes his victim. Here, again, the general principles are seen in common sense. Wasted opportunities cannot be "made up" when times get hard (Proverbs 6:6–11).

The Bible points out that a wise person refuses to stir up strife. As with all proverbs, this is meant as general wisdom. In most circumstances, those who aggravate trouble are those most likely to suffer from it. Beyond that, God has particular distaste for certain sins associated with troublemakers. A "worthless person" is described as one who uses corrupt, deceptive speech and deceptive signals to sow discord. The list of God-hated attitudes includes arrogance, deceit, violence against the innocent, an evil heart, and lies. Summarizing these sins is the idea of someone who creates controversy or hatred among others (Proverbs 6:12–19).

Solomon counsels his son to abide by his parents' teaching. These lessons from experience will guide him and keep him from danger. As with other statements, this is a question of risk versus reward. Those who make good choices are not absolutely guaranteed a good outcome—evil and chance can still happen. Yet it's clearly true that those who follow wise paths are less likely to run into trouble than those who act stupidly (Proverbs 6:20–23).

One application of godly wisdom, both literal and symbolic, is safety from "the adulteress." While men are generally more susceptible to seduction than women, the general idea applies to everyone. Solomon warns his son to avoid falling prey to smooth talk, alluring beauty, and enticing glances. Solomon compares an illicit relationship to that of carrying fire next to the chest and to walking on hot coals. Both actions cause pain. An adulterer, Solomon says, is senseless and self-destructive. Society might have sympathy for a starving man who steals bread—but not for a man who violates his neighbor's wife. Adulterers risk suffering from revenge and shame (Proverbs 6:24–35).
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