Proverbs 6:1-12

¹My son, if thou become surety for thy friend, Thou shalt deliver thy hand to an enemy.

²For a man’s own lips become a strong snare to him, And he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.

³My 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.

⁴Give not sleep to thine eyes, Nor slumber with thine eyelids;

⁵That thou mayest deliver thyself as a doe out of the toils, And as a bird out of a snare.

⁶Go to the ant, O sluggard; And see, and emulate his ways, And become wiser than he.

⁷For whereas he has no husbandry, Nor anyone to compel him, And is under no master,

⁸He prepares food for himself in the summer, And lays by abundant store in harvest.

^8aOr go to the bee, And learn how diligent she is, And how earnestly she is engaged in her work;

^8bWhose labors kings and private men use for health, And she is desired and respected by all:

^8cThough weak in body, She is advanced by honoring wisdom.

⁹How long wilt thou lie, O sluggard? And when wilt thou awake out of sleep?

¹⁰Thou sleepest a little, and thou restest a little, and thou slumberest a short time, And thou foldest thine arms over thy breast a little.

¹¹Then poverty comes upon thee as an evil traveler, And want as a swift courier:

^11aBut if thou be diligent, thy harvest shall arrive as a fountain, And poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.

¹²A foolish man and a transgressor Goes in ways that are not good.