Proverbs 6

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Proverbs 6

1My son, if you become surety for your friend, you shall deliver your hand to an enemy.Υἱὲ, ἐὰν ἐγγυήσῃ σὸν φίλον, παραδώσεις σὴν χεῖρα ἐχθρῷ.

2For 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.

3My son, do what I command you, and deliver yourself; for on your friend's account you are come into the power of evil men: faint not, but stir up even your friend for whom you are become surety.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.

4Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber with your eyelids;Μὴ δῷς ὕπνον σοῖς ὄμμασι, μηδὲ ἐπινυστάξῃς σοῖς βλεφάροις,

5that you may deliver yourself 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.

6Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.Ἴθι πρὸς τὸν μύρμηκα ὦ ὀκνηρὲ, καὶ ζήλωσον ἰδὼν τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ γενοῦ ἐκείνου σοφώτερος.

7For 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 ὢν,

8he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labors kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in * body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.ἐτοιμάζεται θέρους τὴν τροφὴν, πολλήν τε ἐν τῷ ἀμητῷ ποιεῖται τὴν παράθεσιν·

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

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

8cκαίπερ οὖσα τῇ ῥώμῃ ἀσθενὴς, τὴν σοφίαν τιμήσασα προήχθη.

9How long will you lie, O sluggard? and when will you awake out of sleep?Ἕως τίνος ὀκνηρὲ κατάκεισαι; πότε δὲ ἐξ ὕπνου ἐγερθήσῃ;

10You sleep a little, and you rest a little, and you slumber a short time, and you fold your arms over your breast a little.ὀλίγον μὲν ὑπνοῖς, ὀλίγον δὲ κάθησαι, μικρὸν δὲ νυστάζεις, ὀλίγον δὲ ἐναγκαλίζῃ χερσὶ στήθη.

11Then poverty comes upon you as an evil traveller, and lack as a swift courier: but if you be diligent, your harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.Εἶτʼ ἐνπαραγίνεταί σοι ὥσπερ κακὸς ὁδοιπόρος ἡ πενία, καὶ ἡ ἔνδεια ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς δρομεύς·

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

12A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.Ἀνὴρ ἄφρων καὶ παράνομος πορεύεται ὁδοὺς οὐκ ἀγαθάς.

13And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.Ὁ δʼ αὐτὸς ἐννεύει ὀφθαλμῷ, σημαίνει δὲ ποδὶ, διδάσκει δὲ ἐννεύμασι δακτύλων.

14His perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.Διεστραμμένη καρδία τεκταίνεται κακὰ, ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ὁ τοιοῦτος ταραχὰς συνίστησιν πόλει.

15Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin. †Διὰ τοῦτο ἐξαπίνης ἔρχεται ἡ ἀπώλεια αὐτοῦ, διακοπὴ καὶ συντριβὴ ἀνίατος.

16For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.Ὅτι χαίρει πᾶσιν οἷς μισεῖ ὁ Θεὸς, συντρίβεται δὲ διʼ ἀκαθαρσίαν ψυχῆς.

17The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;Ὀφθαλμὸς ὑβριστοῦ, γλῶσσα ἄδικος· χεῖρες ἐκχέουσαι αἷμα δικαίου,

18and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —are hateful to God.καὶ καρδία τεκταινομένη λογισμοὺς κακοὺς, καὶ πόδες ἐπισπεύδοντες κακοποιεῖν.

19An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and ‡ brings on quarrels between brethren.Ἐκκαίει ψευδῆ μάρτυς ἄδικος, καὶ ἐπιπέμπει κρίσεις ἀναμέσον ἀδελφῶν.

20My son, keep the laws of your father, and reject not the ordinances of your mother:Υἱὲ, φύλασσε νόμους πατρός σου, καὶ μὴ ἀπώσῃ θεσμοὺς μητρός σου·

21but bind them upon your soul continually, and hang them as a chain about your neck.Ἄφαψαι δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ σῇ ψυχῇ διαπαντὸς, καὶ ἐλκλοίωσαι περὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ·

22Whenever you walk, lead this along and let it be with you; that it may talk with you when you wake.Ἡνίκα ἂν περιπατῇς, ἐπάγου αὐτὴν καὶ μετὰ σοῦ ἔστω, ὡς δʼ ἂν καθεύδῃς φυλασσέτω σε, ἵνα ἐγειρομένῳ συλλαλῇ σοι.

23For 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,

24to keep you continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.τοῦ διαφυλάσσειν σε ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ὑπάνδρου, καὶ ἀπὸ διαβολῆς γλώσσης ἀλλοτρίας.

25Let not the desire of beauty overcome you, neither be you caught by your eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.Μή σε νικήσῃ κάλλους ἐπιθυμία, μηδὲ ἀγρευθῇς σοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, μηδὲ συναρπασθῇς ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῆς βλεφάρων.

26For 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.

27Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?Ἀποδήσει τις πῦρ ἐν κόλπῳ, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια οὐ κατακαύσει;

28or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?ἢ περιπατήσει τις ἐπʼ ἀνθράκων πυρὸς, τοὺς δὲ πόδας οὐ κατακαύσει;

29So 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 ἀθωωθήσεται, οὐδὲ πᾶς ὁ ἁπτόμενος αὐτῆς.

30It 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.

31but 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 ῥύσεται ἑσυτόν.

32But the adulterer through lack of sense procures destruction to his soul.Ὁ δὲ μοιχὸς διʼ ἔνδειαν φρενῶν ἀπώλειαν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ περιποιεῖται,

33He 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.

34For 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.

35He 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.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

• v. 8*Gr. strength.
• v. 15†Comp. Heb.
• v. 19‡Gr sends forth judgments.