Chapter 6

  My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,  

  You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.  

  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.  

  Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;  

  Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her.  

  Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:  

  Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,  

  She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.  

  How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?  

  A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:  

  Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man  

  A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;  

  Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;  

  His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.  

  For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.  

  Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:  

  Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause;  

  A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;  

  A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers.  

  My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:  

  Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.  

  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.  

  For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life.  

  They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.  

  Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.  

  For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life.  

  May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?  

  Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?  

  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.  

  Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:  

  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.  

  He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul.  

  Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.  

  For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy.  

  He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.