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Proverbs chapter 6 in Hebrew and English

35 verses, about 3 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The whole chapter is here, a verse to a line.

בְּנִי אִם־עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ תָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, If thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger -

נוֹקַשְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־פִיךָ נִלְכַּדְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth, Thou art caught by the words of thy mouth -

עֲשֵׂה זֹאת אֵפוֹא בְּנִי וְהִנָּצֵל כִּי בָאתָ בְכַף־רֵעֶךָ לֵךְ הִתְרַפֵּס וּרְהַב רֵעֶֽיךָ׃

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, Seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour; Go, humble thyself, and urge thy neighbour.

אַל־תִּתֵּן שֵׁנָה לְעֵינֶיךָ וּתְנוּמָה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

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

הִנָּצֵל כִּצְבִי מִיָּד וּכְצִפּוֹר מִיַּד יָקֽוּשׁ׃

Deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand [of the hunter], And as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

לֵךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָה עָצֵל רְאֵה דְרָכֶיהָ וַחֲכָֽם׃

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

אֲשֶׁר אֵין־לָהּ קָצִין שֹׁטֵר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

Which having no chief, Overseer, or ruler,

תָּכִין בַּקַּיִץ לַחְמָהּ אָגְרָה בַקָּצִיר מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

Provideth her bread in the summer, And gatherest her food in the harvest.

עַד־מָתַי עָצֵל תִּשְׁכָּב מָתַי תָּקוּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

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

מְעַט שֵׁנוֹת מְעַט תְּנוּמוֹת מְעַט חִבֻּק יָדַיִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

’Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep’ -

וּבָא־כִמְהַלֵּךְ רֵאשֶׁךָ וּמַחְסֹרְךָ כְּאִישׁ מָגֵֽן׃

So shall thy poverty come as a runner, And thy want as an armed man.

אָדָם בְּלִיַּעַל אִישׁ אָוֶן הוֹלֵךְ עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּֽה׃

A base person, a man of iniquity, Is he that walketh with a froward mouth; .

קֹרֵץ בְּעֵינָו מֹלֵל בְּרַגְלָו מֹרֶה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

That winketh with his eyes, that scrapeth with his feet, That pointeth with his fingers;

תַּהְפֻּכוֹת בְּלִבּוֹ חֹרֵשׁ רָע בְּכָל־עֵת מִדְיָנִים יְשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃

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

עַל־כֵּן פִּתְאֹם יָבוֹא אֵידוֹ פֶּתַע יִשָּׁבֵר וְאֵין מַרְפֵּֽא׃

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

שֶׁשׁ־הֵנָּה שָׂנֵא יְהוָה וְשֶׁבַע תּוֹעֲבַת נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

There are six things which the LORD hateth, Yea, seven which are an abomination unto Him:

עֵינַיִם רָמוֹת לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר וְיָדַיִם שֹׁפְכוֹת דָּם־נָקִֽי׃

Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood;

לֵב חֹרֵשׁ מַחְשְׁבוֹת אָוֶן רַגְלַיִם מְמַהֲרוֹת לָרוּץ לָֽרָעָה׃

A heart that deviseth wicked thoughts, Feet that are swift in running to evil;

יָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים עֵד שָׁקֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּחַ מְדָנִים בֵּין אַחִֽים׃

A false witness that breatheth out lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.

נְצֹר בְּנִי מִצְוַת אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

My son, keep the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the teaching of thy mother;

קָשְׁרֵם עַל־לִבְּךָ תָמִיד עָנְדֵם עַל־גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

Bind them continually upon thy heart, Tie them about thy neck.

בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ תַּנְחֶה אֹתָךְ בְּשָׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ וַהֲקִיצוֹתָ הִיא תְשִׂיחֶֽךָ׃

When thou walkest, it shall lead thee, When thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר וְדֶרֶךְ חַיִּים תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָֽר׃

For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, And reproofs of instruction are the way of life;

לִשְׁמָרְךָ מֵאֵשֶׁת רָע מֵחֶלְקַת לָשׁוֹן נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

To keep thee from the evil woman, From the smoothness of the alien tongue.

אַל־תַּחְמֹד יָפְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ וְאַל־תִּקָּחֲךָ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; Neither let her captivate thee with her eyelids.

כִּי בְעַד־אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה עַד־כִּכַּר לָחֶם וְאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ נֶפֶשׁ יְקָרָה תָצֽוּד׃

For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a loaf of bread, But the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.

הֲיַחְתֶּה אִישׁ אֵשׁ בְּחֵיקוֹ וּבְגָדָיו לֹא תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

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

אִם־יְהַלֵּךְ אִישׁ עַל־הַגֶּחָלִים וְרַגְלָיו לֹא תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃

Or can one walk upon hot coals, And his feet not be scorched?

כֵּן הַבָּא אֶל־אֵשֶׁת רֵעֵהוּ לֹא יִנָּקֶה כָּל־הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּֽהּ׃

So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; Whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.

לֹא־יָבוּזוּ לַגַּנָּב כִּי יִגְנוֹב לְמַלֵּא נַפְשׁוֹ כִּי יִרְעָֽב׃

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

וְנִמְצָא יְשַׁלֵּם שִׁבְעָתָיִם אֶת־כָּל־הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ יִתֵּֽן׃

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

נֹאֵף אִשָּׁה חֲסַר־לֵב מַשְׁחִית נַפְשׁוֹ הוּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; He doeth it that would destroy his own soul.

נֶגַע־וְקָלוֹן יִמְצָא וְחֶרְפָּתוֹ לֹא תִמָּחֶֽה׃

Wounds and dishonour shall he get, And his reproach shall not be wiped away. .

כִּי־קִנְאָה חֲמַת־גָּבֶר וְלֹא־יַחְמוֹל בְּיוֹם נָקָֽם׃

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

לֹא־יִשָּׂא פְּנֵי כָל־כֹּפֶר וְלֹא־יֹאבֶה כִּי תַרְבֶּה־שֹֽׁחַד׃

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

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, free to view and copy, compared letter by letter with a second edition, Miqra according to the Masorah, under the CC BY-SA licence. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this chapter stands in the Tanakh.

  • Chapter 6 of the 31 chapters of Proverbs
  • Proverbs is one of the Writings
  • 35 verses, 271 words, about 3 minutes to read

Proverbs has 31 chapters, and each one has its own page.

All of Proverbs·All the books of the Tanakh·Psalms and prayers

Questions about this chapter

How many verses does Proverbs chapter 6 have?

Proverbs chapter 6 has 35 verses and 271 words.

How does Proverbs chapter 6 begin?

The first verse begins in Hebrew with the words בני אם־ערבת לרעך תקעת.

Where does Proverbs chapter 6 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 6 of the 31 chapters of Proverbs, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read Proverbs chapter 6?

About 3 minutes, at a steady pace.