1 My son, suppose you have pledged to guarantee your neighbor's debt, or you have shaken hands in agreement with a stranger, 2 then you've trapped yourself by what you promised, you've been caught by what you said. 3 So this is what you have to do. You need to get out of it, because you've put yourself in that person's power. Go to your neighbor in all humility and ask him to release you from the commitment. 4 Don't delay, saying that you'll sleep on it. Don't rest until you've done it. 5 Get out of it like a gazelle escaping from a trap, like a bird from a bird-catcher's net. 6 Go and observe the ants, you slacker! Learn from what they do and become wise. 7 They don't have a leader, an officer, or a ruler, 8 yet they work hard during the summer getting their food, gathering what they need during the harvest. 9 So how long are you going to lie there, you slacker? When are you going to get up from your sleep? 10 You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”— 11 and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior. 12 Rebellious and wicked people go around telling lies, 13 winking slyly, giving sneaky foot gestures, rudely pointing with their fingers. 14 Their warped minds plot evil schemes; they're always causing trouble. 15 As a result, disaster falls suddenly on such people; in just a moment they're destroyed without hope of healing. 16 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven things that he absolutely detests: 17 arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that murder the innocent, 18 a mind that plots evil schemes, feet that hurriedly run to do wrong, 19 a false witness that speaks lies, those who caused arguments in families. 20 My son, pay attention to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching. 21 Keep them always in mind. Tie them around your neck. 22 They will lead you as you walk along; they will watch over you as you sleep; when you wake up they will talk with you. 23 For the instruction is a lamp, and the teaching is a light. The correction that comes from discipline is the way to life. 24 It will protect you from an evil woman and the seductive words of a prostitute. 25 Don't let your mind lust after her beauty, or let her hypnotize you with her fluttering eyelashes. 26 You can buy a prostitute for the price of a loaf of bread, but adultery with another man's wife can cost you your life. 27 Can you put fire in your lap and not burn your clothes? 28 Can you walk on hot coals and not scorch your feet? 29 It's the same for anyone who sleeps with another man's wife. No one who touches her will remain unpunished. 30 People don't condemn a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he's hungry. 31 But if he's caught, he has to pay back seven times what he stole, even if it means handing over everything he has in his house. 32 Any man who commits adultery with a woman has no sense; he who does so destroys himself. 33 He will be wounded and dishonored. His disgrace will never be removed. 34 For jealousy makes a husband furious, and he won't hold back when he takes revenge. 35 He refuses any compensation, and won't be paid off, however big the amount.
Proverbs 6 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
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)