- 1
- My sonne, if thou bee surety for thy friend, it thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
- 2
- Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the wordes of thy mouth.
- 3
- Doe this now, my sonne, and deliuer thy selfe, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend: goe, humble thy selfe, and make sure thy friend.
- 4
- Giue not sleepe to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
- 5
- Deliuer thy selfe as a Roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
- 6
- Goe to the Ant, thou sluggard, consider her wayes, and be wise.
- 7
- Which hauing no guide, ouerseer, or ruler,
- 8
- Prouideth her meat in the Summer, and gathereth her food in the haruest.
- 9
- How long wilt thou sleepe, O sluggard?
when wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe?
- 10
- Yet a little sleepe, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleepe.
- 11
- So shall thy pouertie come as one that trauaileth, and thy want as an armed man.
- 12
- A naughtie person, a wicked man walketh with a froward mouth.
- 13
- He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feete, hee teacheth with his fingers.
- 14
- Frowardnesse is in his heart, he deuiseth mischiefe continually, he soweth discord.
- 15
- Therefore shall his calamitie come suddenly;
suddenly shall hee be broken without remedie.
- 16
- These sixe things doeth the Lord hate;
yea seuen are an abomination vnto him:
- 17
- A proude looke, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood:
- 18
- An heart that deuiseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischiefe:
- 19
- A false witnesse that speaketh lies;
and him that soweth discord among brethren.
- 20
- My sonne, keepe thy fathers commandement, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
- 21
- Binde them continually vpon thine heart, and tie them about thy necke.
- 22
- When thou goest, it shall leade thee;
when thou sleepest, it shall keepe thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talke with thee.
- 23
- For the Commandement is a lampe, and the Lawe is light: and reproofes of instruction are the way of life:
- 24
- To keepe thee from the euill woman, from the flatterie of the tongue of a strange woman.
- 25
- Lust not after her beautie in thine heart;
neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
- 26
- For by meanes of a whorish woman, a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteresse will hunt for the precious life.
- 27
- Can a man take fire in his bosome, and his clothes not be burnt?
- 28
- Can one goe vpon hote coales, and his feete not be burnt?
- 29
- So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife;
whosoeuer toucheth her, shall not be innocent.
- 30
- Men doe not despise a thiefe, if he steale to satisfie his soule, when hee is hungry:
- 31
- But if he be found, he shall restore seuenfold, he shall giue all the substance of his house.
- 32
- But who so committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh vnderstanding: hee that doeth it, destroyeth his owne soule.
- 33
- A wound and dishonour shall he get, and his reproch shall not be wiped away.
- 34
- For iealousie is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
- 35
- He will not regard any ransome;
neither will hee rest content, though thou giuest many giftes.
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