1: My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another, 2: You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you. 3: Do this, my son, and make yourself free, because you have come into the power of your neighbour; go without waiting, and make a strong request to your neighbour. 4: Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them; 5: Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her. 6: Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise: 7: Having no chief, overseer, or ruler, 8: She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting. 9: How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep? 10: A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep: 11: Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man 12: A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words; 13: Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers; 14: His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts. 15: For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him. 16: Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him: 17: Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause; 18: A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin; 19: A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers. 20: My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother: 21: Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck. 22: In your walking, it will be your guide; when you are sleeping, it will keep watch over you; when you are awake, it will have talk with you. 23: For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life. 24: They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman. 25: Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner. 26: For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life. 27: May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing? 28: Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned? 29: So it is with him who goes in to his neighbour's wife; he who has anything to do with her will not go free from punishment. 30: Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it: 31: But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house. 32: He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul. 33: Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away. 34: For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy. 35: He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.
