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.