- 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.
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