Proverbs 6 Brenton's Greek Septuagint

About LXX

Scholarly edition
OT: Septuagint (Greek)
Septuagint Old Testament (no New Testament)
Original language
1851
Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

Notes on this text (1)

Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.

LXX Brenton's Greek Septuagint

WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)

1 Υἱὲ, ἐὰν ἐγγυήσῃ σὸν φίλον, παραδώσεις σὴν χεῖρα ἐχθρῷ.

1 My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,

2 Παγὶς γὰρ ἰσχυρὰ ἀνδρὶ τὰ ἴδια χείλη, καὶ ἁλίσκεται χείλεσιν ἰδίου στόματος.

2 you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.

3 Ποίει υἱὲ ἃ ἐγώ σοι ἐντέλλομαι, καὶ σώζου· ἥκεις γὰρ εἰς χεῖρας κακῶν διὰ σὸν φίλον· ἴσθι μὴ ἐκλυόμενος, παρόξυνε δὲ καὶ τὸν φίλον σου ὃν ἐνεγγυήσω.

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 Μὴ δῷς ὕπνον σοῖς ὄμμασι, μηδὲ ἐπινυστάξῃς σοῖς βλεφάροις,

4 Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

5 ἵνα σώζῃ ὥσπερ δορκὰς ἐκ βρόχων, καὶ ὥσπερ ὄρνεον ἐκ παγίδος.

5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

6 Ἴθι πρὸς τὸν μύρμηκα ὦ ὀκνηρὲ, καὶ ζήλωσον ἰδὼν τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ γενοῦ ἐκείνου σοφώτερος.

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

7 Ἐκείνῳ γὰρ γεωργίου μὴ ὑπάρχοντος, μηδὲ τὸν ἀναγκάζοντα ἔχων, μηδὲ ὑπὸ δεσπότην ὢν,

7 which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

8 ἐτοιμάζεται θέρους τὴν τροφὴν, πολλήν τε ἐν τῷ ἀμητῷ ποιεῖται τὴν παράθεσιν·

8 provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

8a ἢ πορεύθητι πρὸς τὴν μέλισσαν, καὶ μάθε ὡς ἐργάτις ἐστὶ, τήν τε ἐργασίαν ὡς σεμνὴν ποιεῖται·

8b ἧς τοὺς πόνους βασιλεῖς καὶ ἰδιῶται πρὸς ὑγίειαν προσφέρονται· ποθεινὴ δέ ἐστι πᾶσι καὶ ἐπίδοξος,

8c καίπερ οὖσα τῇ ῥώμῃ ἀσθενὴς, τὴν σοφίαν τιμήσασα προήχθη.

9 Ἕως τίνος ὀκνηρὲ κατάκεισαι; πότε δὲ ἐξ ὕπνου ἐγερθήσῃ;

9 How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

10 ὀλίγον μὲν ὑπνοῖς, ὀλίγον δὲ κάθησαι, μικρὸν δὲ νυστάζεις, ὀλίγον δὲ ἐναγκαλίζῃ χερσὶ στήθη.

10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—

11 Εἶτʼ ἐνπαραγίνεταί σοι ὥσπερ κακὸς ὁδοιπόρος ἡ πενία, καὶ ἡ ἔνδεια ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς δρομεύς·

11 so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

11a ἐὰν δὲ ἄοκνος ᾖς, ἥξει ὥσπερ πηγὴ ὁ ἀμητός σου· ἡ δὲ ἔνδεια, ὥσπερ κακὸς δρομεὺς ἀπαυτομολήσει.

12 Ἀνὴρ ἄφρων καὶ παράνομος πορεύεται ὁδοὺς οὐκ ἀγαθάς.

12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,

13 Ὁ δʼ αὐτὸς ἐννεύει ὀφθαλμῷ, σημαίνει δὲ ποδὶ, διδάσκει δὲ ἐννεύμασι δακτύλων.

13 who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers,

14 Διεστραμμένη καρδία τεκταίνεται κακὰ, ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ὁ τοιοῦτος ταραχὰς συνίστησιν πόλει.

14 in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

15 Διὰ τοῦτο ἐξαπίνης ἔρχεται ἡ ἀπώλεια αὐτοῦ, διακοπὴ καὶ συντριβὴ ἀνίατος.

15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

16 Ὅτι χαίρει πᾶσιν οἷς μισεῖ ὁ Θεὸς, συντρίβεται δὲ διʼ ἀκαθαρσίαν ψυχῆς.

16 There are six things which Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

17 Ὀφθαλμὸς ὑβριστοῦ, γλῶσσα ἄδικος· χεῖρες ἐκχέουσαι αἷμα δικαίου,

17 arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

18 καὶ καρδία τεκταινομένη λογισμοὺς κακοὺς, καὶ πόδες ἐπισπεύδοντες κακοποιεῖν.

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

19 Ἐκκαίει ψευδῆ μάρτυς ἄδικος, καὶ ἐπιπέμπει κρίσεις ἀναμέσον ἀδελφῶν.

19 a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

20 Υἱὲ, φύλασσε νόμους πατρός σου, καὶ μὴ ἀπώσῃ θεσμοὺς μητρός σου·

20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.

21 Ἄφαψαι δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ σῇ ψυχῇ διαπαντὸς, καὶ ἐλκλοίωσαι περὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ·

21 Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

22 Ἡνίκα ἂν περιπατῇς, ἐπάγου αὐτὴν καὶ μετὰ σοῦ ἔστω, ὡς δʼ ἂν καθεύδῃς φυλασσέτω σε, ἵνα ἐγειρομένῳ συλλαλῇ σοι.

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 Ὅτι λύχνος ἐντολὴ νόμου καὶ φῶς, ὁδὸς ζωῆς, καὶ ἔλεγχος καὶ παιδεία,

23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

24 τοῦ διαφυλάσσειν σε ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ὑπάνδρου, καὶ ἀπὸ διαβολῆς γλώσσης ἀλλοτρίας.

24 to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

25 Μή σε νικήσῃ κάλλους ἐπιθυμία, μηδὲ ἀγρευθῇς σοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, μηδὲ συναρπασθῇς ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῆς βλεφάρων.

25 Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

26 Τιμὴ γὰρ πόρνης ὅση καὶ ἑνὸς ἄρτου, γυνὴ δὲ ἀνδρῶν τιμίας ψυχὰς ἀγρεύει.

26 For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

27 Ἀποδήσει τις πῦρ ἐν κόλπῳ, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια οὐ κατακαύσει;

27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

28 ἢ περιπατήσει τις ἐπʼ ἀνθράκων πυρὸς, τοὺς δὲ πόδας οὐ κατακαύσει;

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

29 Οὕτως ὁ εἰσελθὼν πρὸς γυναῖκα ὕπανδρον, οὐκ ἀθωωθήσεται, οὐδὲ πᾶς ὁ ἁπτόμενος αὐτῆς.

29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

30 Οὐ θαυμαστὸν ἐὰν ἁλῷ τις κλέπτων, κλέπτει γὰρ ἵνα ἐμπλήσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν πεινῶν.

30 Men don’t despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,

31 Ἐὰν δὲ ἁλῷ, ἀποτίσει ἑπταπλάσια, καὶ πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ δοὺς ῥύσεται ἑσυτόν.

31 but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.

32 Ὁ δὲ μοιχὸς διʼ ἔνδειαν φρενῶν ἀπώλειαν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ περιποιεῖται,

32 He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

33 ὀδύνας τε καὶ ἀτιμίας ὑποφέρει, τὸ δὲ ὄνειδος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐξαλειφθήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.

33 He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

34 Μεστὸς γὰρ ζήλου θυμὸς ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς, οὐ φείσεται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως.

34 For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.

35 Οὐκ ἀνταλλάξεται οὐδενὸς λύτρου τὴν ἔχθραν, οὐδὲ μὴ διαλυθῇ πολλῶν δώρων.

35 He won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.

Cross references (37)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

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).

Quotes verse 6:26 Augustine of Hippo, The City of God (Book II, Chapters 5–6)
… 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)
Quotes verse 6:34 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily IV)
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)
Quotes verse 6:27 Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures (Lecture II)
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)
Quotes verse 6:8 Augustine of Hippo, Expositions on the Psalms (Psalm XLIX)
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)
Quotes verse 6:6–8 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily XVII)
… 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)

Old Testament

What the Fathers said