Proverbs

我兒，你若為朋友作保，替外人擊掌，

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

你就被口中的話語纏住，被嘴裡的言詞捉住。

Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

我兒，你既落在朋友手中，就當這樣行才可解救自己：你要自卑，去懇求你的朋友；

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

不要讓你的眼睛睡覺，也不要讓你的眼皮打盹；

Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

要救自己，如鹿脫離獵人的手，如鳥脫離捕鳥人的手。

Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

懶惰人哪，你去察看螞蟻的動作，就可得智慧。

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

螞蟻沒有元帥，沒有官長，沒有君王，

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

尚且在夏天預備食物，在收割時積蓄糧食。

Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

懶惰人哪，你要睡到幾時呢？你何時睡醒呢？

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

再睡片時，打盹片時，抱著手躺臥片時，

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

你的貧窮就必如強盜速來，你的缺乏彷彿拿兵器的人來到。

So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

無賴的惡棍，行動，說乖謬的話，

A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

用眼目示意，用腳傳信，用指指劃；

He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

心中乖僻，常常謀惡，佈散紛爭。

Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

所以,他的災難必忽然而來；他必頃刻損壞，無法可救。

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

耶和華所恨惡的有六樣，連他心所憎惡的共有七樣：

These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

就是高傲的眼，撒謊的舌，流無辜人血的手，

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

圖謀惡計的心，飛跑行惡的腳，

An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

吐謊言的假見證，並弟兄中佈散紛爭的人。

A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

我兒，要謹守你父親的命令；不可離棄你母親的法則（或作：指教），

My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

要常繫在你心上，掛在你項上。

Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

你行走，她必引導你；你躺臥，她必保守你；你睡醒，她必與你談論。

When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

因為誡命是燈，法則（或作：指教）是光，訓誨的責備是生命的道，

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

能保守你遠離惡婦，遠離外女諂媚的舌頭。

To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

你心中不要戀慕她的美色，也不要被她眼皮勾引。

Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

因為妓女能使人只剩一塊餅；犯姦淫的婦人獵取人寶貴的生命。

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

人豈能把火放在懷中，衣服卻不燒著呢？

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

人豈能在炭火上走，腳卻不燒傷呢？

Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

與鄰舍之妻同房的，也是如此；凡挨近她的，不免受罰。

So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

賊因飢餓偷東西充飢，人不藐視他（原文作：若不藐視他，尚可原諒），

Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

若被拿住，他必賠還七倍，必將家中一切的財物盡都交出。

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

與婦人行淫的，便是無知；行這事的，必喪掉生命。

But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

他必受傷受辱，他的羞恥不得塗抹；

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

因為丈夫必嫉恨憤怒，報仇之日決不留情，

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

他什麼贖物都不顧，你雖送許多禮物，他也不肯罷休。

He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.