My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast struck thy palms for a stranger,

My son, if you have gone security for your friend; if you have put forth your hand [in pledge] for a stranger,

if thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, caught with the sayings of thy mouth:

[Or if] you have been trapped by the words of your mouth, you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth.

do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour; go, abase thyself, and importune thy neighbour.

Do this, then, my son, and be saved; for you have fallen into your friend's hand. Go and free [your] palm [i.e., pay him his money]; and [(if you owe him no money, but "have been trapped by the words of your mouth," to speak harshly against him,)] then multiply your friends [i.e., send many friends to him to ask him to forgive you].

Give no sleep to thy eyes, nor slumber to thy eyelids.

Give no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your lids.

Deliver thyself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Rescue yourself [from there] as the deer from the hand [of the hunter], and as the bird from the [fowler's] snare.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Go to the ant, you sluggard; see its ways and grow wise.

which having no guide, overseer, or ruler;

Though there is no officer, or guard, or ruler over her [to spur her on or to keep one ant from stealing from the other],

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

Still, she prepares her [own] food in the summer and stores up her [own] food in the harvest time.

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

How long will you recline, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to recline,

so shall thy poverty come like a marauder, and thy want like an armed man.

And your poverty [(in Torah)] will arrive as an unexpected guest, and your want as a shielded warrior [to defend his master].

A base person, a wicked man, is one that walks with a crowed mouth,

The faithless man is a man of wrong, walking with contorted mouth [(in slanderous intent)].

that winks with his eyes, that taps with his feet, that points with his fingers;

He winks with his eyes, "speaks" with his feet, points with his fingers.

perverseness is in his heart; he devises mischief continually; he sows discord.

There are contraries in his heart. He plots evil all the time and stirs up strife [(between man and his Creator)].

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

Therefore, his undoing will come with suddenness; he will be broken in an instant, not to be healed.

There are six things which the Lord hates, and seven which are an abomination to him:

These six are hated by the L-rd, and the seventh is the abomination of His soul:

a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

Haughty eyes, a false tongue, and hands spilling innocent blood,

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

A heart plotting vain thoughts, feet hastening to run to evil,

a false witness that breathes out lies, and one that sows discord among brethren.

A false witness spouting lies, and the inciter of strife among brothers.

My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the Tora of thy mother:

Heed, my son, the command of your father, and do not forsake the instruction of your mother.

bind them continually upon thy heart, and tie them about thy neck.

Tie them to your heart; entwine them around your throat.

When thou walkest, it shall lead thee; when thou liest down, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

In your going [i.e., in your life], it shall guide you. In your lying down [(in the grave)], it shall guard you. And when you awake [(at the resurrection)], it will speak for you [(i.e., in your behalf)].

For the commandment is a lamp; and Tora is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

For a mitzvah is a lamp [(which illumines for a given time)], and Torah is light [(which illumines forever)], and the chastisements of mussar are [(what impel a man to)] the road of life.

to keep thee from the evil woman, from the smoothness of the tongue of an alien.

To guard you from an evil woman [(idolatry)], from the sealing [of your eyes] by the foreign woman's tongue.

Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; nor let her take thee with her eyelids.

Do not lust her beauty in your heart, and let her not take you [i.e., your wisdom] with [the winking of] her lids.

For by means of a harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

For [lust] for a harlot [reduces one] to [begging for] a loaf of bread, and the adulterous woman ensnares the precious soul.

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

Will a man draw forth fire into his lap and his clothes not be burned?

Can one walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

Will a man walk on coals and his feet not be scorched?

So he that goes in to his neighbour’s wife; whoever touches her shall not go unpunished.

So, he who comes to his friend's wife; no one who touches her will go clean.

Do not men despise a thief, even if he steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry?

The thief is not despised when he steals to fill his soul; for he is hungry.

And if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

And, [in addition,] when he is found, he can [make indemnification (to the point of)] paying sevenfold [i.e., a great sum], [and, if necessary,] he will give all the wealth of his house.

He who commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding: he who does that destroys his soul.

But one who commits adultery, lacks a heart; the destroyer of his soul — he will do it [(the act)].

A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

Plague and shame will he find [(Idolatry and adultery are visited with plague)], and his shame will not be wiped out.

For jealousy is the rage of a man: and he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

For the wrath of the Strong One is aroused against him, and He will not be merciful on the day of revenge.

He will not regard any ransom; nor will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

He will not accept any ransom [(to atone for his idolatry)]; and He will refuse though you raise the bribe.