Proverbs · Berean Standard Bible
Proverbs 6 Berean Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger,
1 My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,
2 if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
2 you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
3 then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor.
3 Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, since you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.
4 Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
6 Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;
7 Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler,
7 which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.
8 provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
9 How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
11 so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.
12 A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,
12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,
13 winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers.
13 who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers,
14 With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.
14 in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
15 Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.
15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
16 There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
16 There are six things which Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
17 arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19 a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.
19 a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.
21 Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.
22 When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.
23 For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,
23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
24 to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.
25 Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
25 Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
26 For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
26 For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
27 Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?
28 Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.
30 Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.
30 Men don’t despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,
31 Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.
31 but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.
32 He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.
32 He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
33 Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.
33 He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.
34 For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish gifts.
35 He won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
Cross references (33)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Proverbs 22:26; Proverbs 17:18; Proverbs 20:16; Proverbs 11:15; Genesis 43:9
- 2 Proverbs 18:7; Proverbs 12:13
- 3 James 4:10; 2 Samuel 24:14; Psalm 31:8; Exodus 10:3; 2 Chronicles 12:5
- 4 Psalm 132:4; Proverbs 6:10–11; Mark 13:35–36; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Matthew 24:17–18
- 5 Psalm 91:3; Psalm 124:7; Proverbs 1:17
- 6 Proverbs 20:4; Proverbs 18:9; Proverbs 13:4; Proverbs 6:9; Hebrews 6:12
- 7 Job 38:39–39:12; Proverbs 30:27; Job 39:26–30; Job 41:4–34
- 8 Proverbs 10:5; 1 Timothy 6:19; Proverbs 30:25
- 9 Proverbs 24:33–34; Psalm 94:8; Jeremiah 4:14; Ephesians 5:14; Proverbs 1:22
- 10 Proverbs 24:33–34; Proverbs 6:6; Proverbs 23:33–34
- 11 Proverbs 13:4; Proverbs 20:4; Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 24:34
- 12 Matthew 12:34; Proverbs 16:27; Proverbs 4:24; 1 Timothy 5:13; Psalm 52:2–4
- 13 Psalm 35:19; Job 15:12; Proverbs 10:10; Proverbs 5:6
- 14 Micah 2:1; Romans 16:17; Hosea 8:7; Proverbs 6:18–19; Proverbs 26:17–22
- 15 2 Chronicles 36:16; Jeremiah 19:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; Proverbs 1:27; Isaiah 30:13–14
- 16 Psalm 11:5; Proverbs 8:13; Proverbs 11:20; Proverbs 17:15; Deuteronomy 25:16
- 17 Psalm 120:2–3; Proverbs 12:22; Isaiah 1:15; Psalm 101:5; Psalm 5:6
- 18 Genesis 6:5; Proverbs 1:16; Jeremiah 4:14; Psalm 36:4; Romans 3:15
- 19 Proverbs 19:5; Proverbs 6:14; James 3:18; Psalm 27:12; Proverbs 19:9
- 20 Ephesians 6:1; Deuteronomy 27:16; Proverbs 7:1–4; Proverbs 1:8–9; Proverbs 23:22
- 21 Proverbs 3:3; Proverbs 7:3–4; 2 Corinthians 3:3; Deuteronomy 6:8; Exodus 13:16
- 22 Psalm 119:11; Proverbs 3:23–24; Proverbs 2:11; Psalm 119:24; Psalm 119:97
- 23 Psalm 119:105; 2 Peter 1:19; Psalm 19:8; Proverbs 15:31; Proverbs 4:13
- 24 Proverbs 2:16; Proverbs 7:5; Ecclesiastes 7:26; Proverbs 5:3
- 25 James 1:14–15; Matthew 5:28; 2 Kings 9:30; 2 Samuel 11:2–5; Song of Songs 4:9
- 26 Luke 15:30; Proverbs 29:3; Genesis 39:14; 1 Samuel 2:36; Ezekiel 13:18
- 27 Job 31:9–12; James 3:5; Hosea 7:4–7
- 29 1 Corinthians 7:1; Leviticus 20:10; 2 Samuel 12:9–10; Ezekiel 22:11; Malachi 3:5
- 31 Luke 19:8; Job 20:18; 2 Samuel 12:6; Exodus 22:1–4; Matthew 18:25
- 32 Proverbs 7:7; Hebrews 13:4; Proverbs 7:22–23; Romans 1:22–24; Proverbs 2:18–19
- 33 Proverbs 5:9–11; 1 Kings 15:5; Psalm 38:1–8; Nehemiah 13:26; Matthew 1:6
- 34 Numbers 5:14; Proverbs 27:4; Song of Songs 8:6; 1 Corinthians 10:22; Numbers 25:11
- 35 Proverbs 8:25; 2 Kings 5:1; Malachi 2:9; Isaiah 2:9; Proverbs 4:3
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… minds of the Romans, demanded for her service their best citizen, not to ripen him still more in virtue by her helpful counsel, but to entangle him by her deceit, like her of whom it is written, "The adulteress will hunt for the precious soul." Her intent was to puff up this high- souled man by an apparently divine testimony …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
For ye know how great a thing jealousy is: and therefore He said, to whom these things are clearly known, "For full of jealousy is the rage of a husband;" "he will not spare in the day of vengeance:" and "jealousy is cruel as the grave." And we too know of many that have chosen to give up their lives …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
If however any one thinks that he is not being burned when sinning, to him the Scripture saith, Shall a man wrap up fire in his bosom, and not burn his clothes?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
Be therefore prudent, copy the ant, as saith the Scripture: "Store in summer, lest thou hunger in winter;" the winter is the last day, the day of tribulation; the winter is the day of offences and of bitterness: gather what may be there for thee for the future: but if thou doest not so, thou wilt perish both imprudent and …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
… send unto Kedar, and know if nations will change their gods; which yet are no gods." And to the brutes likewise He sends us oftentimes, saying on this wise, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard, and emulate her ways:" and "go forth to the bee." This therefore I also now say unto you; consider the philosophers of the Greeks; and …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)