Proverbs 6

[My] son, if thou become surety for thy friend, thou shalt deliver thine hand to an enemy.

ΥΙΕ, ἐὰν ἐγγυήσῃ σὸν φίλον, παραδώσεις σὴν χεῖρα ἐχθρῷ·

For a man’s own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.

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

[My] son, do what I command thee, and deliver thyself; for on thy friend’s account thou art come into the power of evil [men]: faint not, but stir up even thy friend for whom thou art become surety.

ποίει, υἱέ, 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.

Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber with thine eyelids;

μὴ δῷς ὕπνον σοῖς ὄμμασι, μηδὲ ἐπινυστάξῃς σοῖς βλεφάροις,

that thou mayest deliver thyself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.

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

Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.

῎Ιθι πρὸς τὸν μύρμηκα, ὦ ὀκνηρέ, καὶ ζήλωσον ἰδὼν τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ γενοῦ ἐκείνου σοφώτερος·

For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,

ἐκείνῳ γὰρ γεωργίου μὴ ὑπάρχοντος, μηδὲ τὸν ἀναγκάζοντα ἔχων, μηδὲ ὑπὸ δεσπότην ὤν,

he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. 8α Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; 8β whose labours kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: 8γ though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.

γ καί περ οὖσα τῇ ῥώμῃ ἀσθενής, τὴν σοφίαν τιμήσασα προήχθη.

How long wilt thou lie, O sluggard? and when wilt thou awake out of sleep?

ἕως τίνος, ὀκνηρέ, κατάκεισαι; πότε δὲ ἐξ ὕπνου ἐγερθήσῃ;

Thou sleepest a little, and thou restest a little, and thou slumberest a short [time], and thou foldest thine arms over thy breast a little.

ὀλίγον μὲν ὑπνοῖς, ὀλίγον δὲ κάθησαι, μικρὸν δὲ νυστάζεις, ὀλίγον δὲ ἐναγκαλίζῃ χερσὶ στήθη·

Then poverty comes upon thee as an evil traveller, and want as a swift courier: 11α but if thou be diligent, thine harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.

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

A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.

᾿Ανὴρ ἄφρων καὶ παράνομος πορεύεται ὁδοὺς οὐκ ἀγαθάς·

And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.

ὁ δ᾿ αὐτὸς ἐννεύει ὀφθαλμῷ, σημαίνει δὲ ποδί, διδάσκει δὲ ἐννεύμασι δακτύλων.

[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.

διεστραμμένῃ καρδίᾳ τεκταίνεται κακά, ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ὁ τοιοῦτος ταραχὰς συνίστησι πόλει.

Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.

διὰ τοῦτο ἐξαπίνης ἔρχεται ἡ ἀπώλεια αὐτοῦ, διακοπὴ καὶ συντριβὴ ἀνίατος·

For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.

ὅτι χαίρει πᾶσιν, οἷς μισεῖ ὁ Θεός, συντρίβεται δὲ δι᾿ ἀκαθαρσίαν ψυχῆς.

The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;

ὀφθαλμὸς ὑβριστοῦ, γλῶσσα ἄδικος, χεῖρες ἐκχέουσαι αἷμα δικαίου

and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil,-- [are hateful to God].

καὶ καρδία τεκταινομένη λογισμοὺς κακοὺς καὶ πόδες ἐπισπεύδοντες κακοποιεῖν.

An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.

ἐκκαίει ψεύδη μάρτυς ἄδικος καὶ ἐπιπέμπει κρίσεις ἀνὰ μέσον ἀδελφῶν.

[My] son, keep the laws of thy father, and reject not the ordinances of thy mother:

Υἱέ, φύλασσε νόμους πατρός σου καὶ μὴ ἀπώσῃ θεσμοὺς μητρός σου·

but bind them upon thy soul continually, and hang them as a chain about thy neck.

ἄφαψαι δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ σῇ ψυχῇ διαπαντὸς καὶ ἐγκλοίωσαι περὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ.

Whensoever thou walkest, lead this along and let it be with thee; that it may talk with thee when thou wakest.

ἡνίκα ἂν περιπατῇς, ἐπάγου αὐτὴν καὶ μετὰ σοῦ ἔστω· ὡς δ᾿ ἂν καθεύδῃς, φυλασσέτω σε, ἵνα ἐγειρομένῳ συλλαλῇ σοι.

For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:

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

to keep thee continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.

τοῦ διαφυλάσσειν σὲ ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ὑπάνδρου καὶ ἀπὸ διαβολῆς γλώσσης ἀλλοτρίας.

Let not the desire of beauty overcome thee, neither be thou caught by thine eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.

μή σε νικήσῃ κάλλους ἐπιθυμία, μηδὲ ἀγρευθῇς σοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, μηδὲ συναρπασθῇς ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῆς βλεφάρων·

For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.

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

Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?

ἀποδήσει τις πῦρ ἐν κόλπῳ, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια οὐ κατακαύσει;

or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?

ἢ περιπατήσει τις ἐπ᾿ ἀνθράκων πυρός, τοὺς δὲ πόδας οὐ κατακαύσει;

So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.

οὕτως ὁ εἰσελθὼν πρὸς γυναῖκα ὕπανδρον, οὐκ ἀθῳωθήσεται, οὐδὲ πᾶς ὁ ἁπτόμενος αὐτῆς.

It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:

οὐ θαυμαστὸν ἐὰν ἁλῷ τις κλέπτων, κλέπτει γὰρ ἵνα ἐμπλήσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν πεινῶν·

but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.

ἐὰν δὲ ἁλῷ, ἀποτίσει ἑπταπλάσια καὶ πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ δοὺς ρύσεται ἑαυτόν.

But the adulterer through want of sense procures destruction to his soul.

ὁ δὲ μοιχὸς δι᾿ ἔνδειαν φρενῶν ἀπώλειαν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ περιποιεῖται,

He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.

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

For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

μεστὸς γὰρ ζήλου θυμὸς ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς· οὐ φείσεται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως,

He will not forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.

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