¹My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger;

¹Min Søn: har du borget for din næste og givet en anden Håndslag,

²You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth.

²er du fanget ved dine Læber og bundet ved Mundens Ord,

³Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, since you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.

³gør så dette, min Søn, og red dig, nu du er kommet i Næstens Hånd: Gå hen uden Tøven, træng ind på din Næste;

⁴Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

⁴und ikke dine Øjne Søvn, ej heller dine Øjenlåg Hvile,

⁵Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

⁵red dig som en Gazel af Snaren, som en Fugl af Fuglefængerens Hånd.

⁶Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

⁶Gå hen til Myren, du lade, se dens Færd og bliv viis.

⁷Skønt uden Fyrste, Foged og Styrer,

⁸provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

⁸sørger den dog om Somren for Æde og sanker sin Føde i Høst.

⁹How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

⁹Hvor længe vil du ligge, du lade, når står du op af din Søvn?

¹⁰A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

¹⁰Lidt Søvn endnu, lidt Blund, lidt Hvile med samlagte Hænder:

¹¹so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

¹¹som en Stimand kommer da Fattigdom over dig, Trang som en skjoldvæbnet Mand.

¹²A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth;

¹²En Nidding, en ussel Mand er den, som vandrer med Falskhed i Munden,

¹³who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;

¹³som blinker med Øjet, skraber med Foden og giver Tegn med Fingrene,

¹⁴in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

¹⁴som smeder Rænker i Hjertet og altid kun ypper Kiv;

¹⁵Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

¹⁵derfor kommer hans Undergang brat, han knuses på Stedet, kan ikke læges.

¹⁶There are six things which Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

¹⁶Seks Ting hader HERREN, syv er hans Sjæl en Gru:

¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;

¹⁷Stolte Øjne, Løgnetunge, Hænder, der udgyder uskyldigt Blod,

¹⁸a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

¹⁸et Hjerte, der udtænker onde Råd, Fødder, der haster og iler til ondt,

¹⁹a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

¹⁹falsk Vidne, der farer med Løgn, og den, som sætter Splid mellem Brødre.

²⁰My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.

²⁰Min Søn, tag Vare på din Faders Bud, opgiv ikke din Moders Belæring,

²¹Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

²¹bind dem altid på dit Hjerte, knyt dem fast om din Hals;

²²When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

²²på din Vandring lede den dig, på dit Leje vogte den dig, den tale dig til, når du vågner;

²³For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

²³thi Budet er en Lygte, Læren Lys, og Tugtens Revselse Livets Vej

²⁴to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

²⁴for at vogte dig for Andenmands Hustru, for fremmed Kvindes sleske Tunge!

²⁵Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

²⁵Attrå ej i dit Hjerte hendes Skønhed, hendes Blik besnære dig ej!

²⁶For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

²⁶Thi en Skøge får man blot for et Brød, men Andenmands Hustru fanger dyrebar Sjæl.

²⁷Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

²⁷Kan nogen bære Ild i sin Brystfold, uden at Klæderne brænder?

²⁸Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

²⁸Kan man vandre på glødende Kul, uden at Fødderne svides?

²⁹So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

²⁹Så er det at gå ind til sin Næstes Hustru; ingen, der rører hende, slipper for Straf.

³⁰Men don’t despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:

³⁰Ringeagter man ikke Tyven, når han stjæler fot at stille sin Sult?

³¹but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.

³¹Om han gribes, må han syvfold bøde og afgive alt sit Huses Gods.

³²He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

³²Afsindig er den, der boler med hende, kun en Selvmorder handler så;

³³He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

³³han opnår Hug og Skændsel, og aldrig udslettes hans Skam.

³⁴For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.

³⁴Thi Skinsyge vækker Mandens Vrede, han skåner ikke på Hævnens Dag;

³⁵He won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.

³⁵ingen Bøde tager han god; store Tilbud rører ham ikke.