The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Proverbs 6

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Ketuvim — the Writings

Proverbs chapter 6 — part of the Ketuvim — the Writings in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger--” — the complete text of all 35 verses is below, free to read online.

1My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger--

2Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth, thou art caught by the words of thy mouth--

3Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour; go, humble thyself, and urge thy neighbour.

4Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

5Deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise;

7Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

8Provideth her bread in the summer, and gatherest her food in the harvest.

9How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep'--

11So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.

12A base person, a man of iniquity, is he that walketh with a froward mouth;

13That winketh with his eyes, that scrapeth with his feet, that pointeth with his fingers;

14Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth evil continually; he soweth discord.

15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; on a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

16There are six things which HaShem hateth, yea, seven which are an abomination unto Him:

17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;

18A heart that deviseth wicked thoughts, feet that are swift in running to evil;

19A false witness that breatheth out lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

20My son, keep the commandment of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;

21Bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck.

22When thou walkest, it shall lead thee, when thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life;

24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the smoothness of the alien tongue.

25Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; neither let her captivate thee with her eyelids.

26For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a loaf of bread, but the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.

27Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

28Or can one walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

29So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.

30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

31But if he be found, he must restore sevenfold, he must give all the substance of his house.

32He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he doeth it that would destroy his own soul.

33Wounds and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

35 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

‹ Proverbs 5 Proverbs 7 ›

Read, search & bookmark — free

This text opens instantly in the FourFaiths reader, with full-text search across every book, bookmarks saved in your browser, reading plans and a verse of the day. No account, no tracking — everything runs locally in your browser.

Open in the Tanakh reader →