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Parental Counsel

¹ My son, if you have become ^(C1)surety (guaranteed a debt or obligation) for your neighbor,
If you have given your pledge for the debt of a stranger or another outside your family,

² If you have been snared with the words of your lips,
If you have been trapped by the speech of your mouth,

³ Do this now, my son, and release yourself from the obligation;
^(F1)Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor,
Go humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor to pay his debt and release you.

⁴ Give no unnecessary ^(C1)sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;

⁵ Tear yourself away like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter
And like a ^(C1)bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶ Go to the ^(C1)ant, O ^(C2)lazy one;
Observe her ways and be wise, ^(VR1)

⁷ Which, having ^(C1)no chief,
Overseer or ruler,

⁸ She prepares her food ^(C1)in the summer
And brings in her provisions of food for the winter in the harvest.

⁹ How long will you lie down, O lazy one?
When will you arise from your sleep and learn self-discipline? ^(VR1)

¹⁰ "Yet ^(C1)a little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to lie down and rest"—

^11 (C1)So your poverty will come like an approaching prowler who walks slowly, but surely
And your need will come like an armed man making you helpless. ^(VR1)

¹² A ^(C1)worthless person, a wicked man,
Is one who walks with a ^(C2)perverse (corrupt, vulgar) mouth.

¹³ Who ^(C1)winks with his eyes in mockery, who shuffles his feet to signal,
Who points with his fingers to give subversive instruction;

¹⁴ Who ^(C1)perversely in his heart ^(C2)plots trouble and evil continually;
Who ^(C3)spreads discord and strife.

¹⁵ Therefore the crushing weight of his ^(C1)disaster will come suddenly upon him;
^(C2)Instantly he will be broken, and there will be no healing or ^(C3)remedy because he has no heart for God.

¹⁶ These six things the LORD hates;
Indeed, seven are repulsive to Him:

¹⁷ A ^(C1)proud look the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others, a ^(C2)lying tongue,
And hands that ^(C3)shed innocent blood, ^(VR1)

¹⁸ A heart that creates ^(C1)wicked plans,
^(C2)Feet that run swiftly to evil,

¹⁹ A ^(C1)false witness who breathes out lies even half-truths,
And one who ^(C2)spreads discord (rumors) among brothers.

^20 (C1)My son, be guided by your father's God-given commandment (instruction)
And do not ^(F1)reject the teaching of your mother; ^(VR1)

^21 (C1)Bind them continually upon your heart (in your thoughts),
And tie them around your neck. ^(VR1)

²² When you ^(C1)walk about, they (the godly teachings of your parents) will guide you;
When you sleep, they will keep watch over you;
And when you awake, they will talk to you.

²³ For ^(C1)the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching of the law is light,
And reproofs (rebukes) for discipline are the way of life, ^(VR1)

²⁴ To ^(C1)keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattery of the smooth tongue of an immoral woman.

^25 (C1)Do not desire (lust after) her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her capture you with her ^(C2)eyelashes.

²⁶ For ^(C1)on account of a prostitute one is reduced to a piece of bread to be eaten up,
And the immoral woman ^(C2)hunts with a hook the precious life of a man.

²⁷ Can a man take fire to his chest
And his clothes not be burned?

²⁸ Or can a man walk on hot coals
And his feet not be scorched?

²⁹ So is the one who ^(C1)goes in to his neighbor's wife;
Whoever touches her ^(C2)will not be found innocent or go unpunished.

³⁰ People do not despise a thief if he steals
To ^(C1)satisfy himself when he is hungry;

³¹ But when he is found, he must ^(C1)repay seven times what he stole;
He must give all the property of his house if necessary to meet his fine.

³² But whoever commits adultery with a woman ^(C1)lacks common sense and sound judgment and an understanding of moral principles;
He who would ^(C2)destroy his soul does it.

³³ Wounds and disgrace he will find,
And his reproach (blame) will not be blotted out.

³⁴ For ^(C1)jealousy enrages the wronged husband;
He will not spare the guilty one on the ^(C2)day of vengeance.

³⁵ He will not accept any ransom offered to buy him off from demanding full punishment;
Nor will he be satisfied though you offer him many gifts (bribes).