6:20 My child, guard the commands of your father

and do not forsake the instruction of your mother.

6:21 Bind them ¹  on your heart continually;

fasten them around your neck.

6:22 When you walk about, ²  they ³  will guide you;

when you lie down, they will watch over you;

when you wake up, ⁴  they will talk ⁵  to you.

6:23 For the commandments ⁶  are like ⁷  a lamp, ⁸ 

instruction is like a light,

and rebukes of discipline are like ⁹  the road leading to life, ¹⁰ 

6:24 by keeping ¹¹  you from the evil woman, ¹² 

from the smooth tongue of ¹³  the loose woman. ¹⁴ 

6:25 Do not lust ¹⁵  in your heart for her beauty,

and do not let her captivate you with her alluring eyes; ¹⁶ 

6:26 for on account ¹⁷  of a prostitute one is brought down to a loaf of bread,

but the wife of another man ¹⁸  preys on your precious life. ¹⁹ 

6:27 Can a man hold ²⁰  fire ²¹  against his chest ²² 

without ²³  burning his clothes?

6:28 Can ²⁴  a man walk on hot coals

without scorching his feet?

6:29 So it is with ²⁵  the one who has sex with ²⁶  his neighbor’s wife;

no one ²⁷  who touches ²⁸  her will escape ²⁹  punishment. ³⁰ 

6:30 People ³¹  do not despise a thief when he steals

to fulfill his need ³²  when he is hungry.

6:31 Yet ³³  if he is caught ³⁴  he must repay ³⁵  seven times over,

he might even have to give ³⁶  all the wealth of his house.

6:32 A man who commits adultery with a woman lacks wisdom, ³⁷ 

whoever does it destroys his own life. ³⁸ 

6:33 He will be beaten and despised, ³⁹ 

and his reproach will not be wiped away; ⁴⁰ 

6:34 for jealousy kindles ⁴¹  a husband’s ⁴²  rage,

and he will not show mercy ⁴³  when he takes revenge.

6:35 He will not consider ⁴⁴  any compensation; ⁴⁵ 

he will not be willing, even if you multiply the compensation. ⁴⁶