Proverbs 6

²Your own words can trap you — like a net that catches you when you have promised something too big.

³If you have made a promise that is too big, do not wait — go humbly to the person and try to make it right as quickly as you can.

⁴Do not rest until you have made it right — keep going until the problem is solved.

⁵Get yourself free from the problem — like a deer that leaps away from the hunter, or a bird that escapes from the trap!

⁶Look at the ant, you lazy one! Watch how she lives — she will teach you to be wise.

⁷The ant has no boss, no teacher standing over her, and no one telling her what to do every single moment.

⁸She gathers food in the summer and harvest time — she plans ahead and stores up what she will need later.

⁹How long will you keep sleeping? When will you finally get up and get to work?

¹⁰The lazy person says, 'Just a little more sleep — just a little more rest' — and keeps on putting off what needs to be done.

¹¹If you keep putting off your work, trouble will sneak up on you — and by the time you notice, it will be hard to push back.

¹²A troublemaker — someone who lives to cause harm — always has twisted, unkind words coming out of their mouth.

¹³He sends sneaky signals with his eyes, his feet, and his fingers — making secret plans to do wrong.

¹⁴His heart is full of crooked thoughts. He is always planning trouble, and he loves to start fights between people.

¹⁵And because of all his trouble-making, disaster will come crashing down on him suddenly — and there will be no way to fix it.

¹⁶There are six — no, seven! — things that God truly hates. These are things that are deeply wrong and harmful.

¹⁷God hates a proud, 'I-am-better-than-you' look, a mouth that tells lies, and hands that hurt innocent people.

¹⁸God hates a heart that plans evil things, and feet that run quickly to do something wrong.

¹⁹God hates someone who tells lies about others, and someone who keeps starting fights between friends and family.

²⁰My child, hold tight to what your father has taught you, and never let go of your mother's instructions.

²¹Keep your parents' teaching so close that it is like something tied right around your heart and neck — always with you.

²²When you walk, wisdom will guide your steps. When you sleep, it will keep you safe. When you wake up, it will be there to talk with you!

²³God's commandments are like a lamp shining in the dark. His teaching is light — and even correction is a path that leads to life.

²⁴God's wisdom keeps you safe from people who use sweet, flattering words to lead you the wrong way.

²⁵Do not let something that looks beautiful on the outside pull your heart away from what is right. Some things that look attractive can lead you into trouble.

²⁶Wrong choices about friendships and relationships can cost everything — they can take away all that is precious and good in a person's life.

²⁷Can you hold fire against your clothes without getting burned? Of course not! Some things always hurt if you get too close to them.

²⁸Can someone walk across hot coals without burning their feet? No! Some things hurt everyone who touches them, no matter what.

²⁹In the same way, taking what belongs to someone else always brings harm. There is no way to do something wrong and come away unharmed.

³⁰People feel sorry for someone who steals because they are starving — they understand how desperate hunger can be.

³¹But if he is caught, he must give back much more than he took — even everything he has. Wrong choices always cost more than we planned.

³²Someone who makes wrong choices about relationships is not thinking clearly — they are harming themselves most of all.

³³He will end up hurt and ashamed — and the damage to his reputation will be very hard to repair.

³⁴Jealousy can make a person very, very angry — and an angry, jealous person can be very hard to deal with.

³⁵No amount of gifts or payment can make some things right. When trust is broken deeply, it cannot always be bought back.