My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, have given a pledge for a stranger,
2 If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, have been caught with the words of your mouth,
3 Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself; since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids;
5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
2 If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, have been caught with the words of your mouth,
3 Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself; since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids;
5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no chief,
Officer or ruler,
8 Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie down, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to [c]rest”—
11 Your poverty will come in like a [d]vagabond
And your need like [e]an armed man.
Observe her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no chief,
Officer or ruler,
8 Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie down, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to [c]rest”—
11 Your poverty will come in like a [d]vagabond
And your need like [e]an armed man.
12 A worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a perverse mouth,
13 Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who points with his fingers;
14 Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, who spreads strife.
15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly; instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing.
13 Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who points with his fingers;
14 Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, who spreads strife.
15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly; instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing.
16 There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.
Reminder: "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will. When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!
It is God's will: that we should not owe anything or become responsible for someone else's debt; and if we do, we should persistently but humbly try to bring about payments (6:1-5)
Today's prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, protect us from ourselves, as well as from financial schemes. Give us wisdom in knowing how to be kind, so that we are not taken advantage of or led into a questionable circumstance. Even among our fellow Christians - keep us humbly discerning - so that contentious situations don't arise. Guide us in knowing when and how to say "no" and stand firm. And move in our hearts when we should generously help someone.
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