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23 For like a lamp is a commandment, and instruction is light,
    and the way of life[a] is the reproof of discipline,
24 in order to preserve you from an evil woman,[b]
    from the smoothness of the tongue of an adulteress.[c]
25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart;
    may she not capture you with her eyelashes.
26 For the price of a woman, a prostitute,[d] is the price of a loaf of bread,
    but the woman belonging to a man[e] hunts precious life.

Warning Against Relations with a Married Woman

27 Can a man carry fire in his lap,
    and his clothes not burn?
28 If a man walks upon the hot coals,
    will his feet not be burned?
29 Thus, he who goes to the wife of his neighbor,
    any who touches her shall not go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief when he steals
    to fill himself[f] when he is hungry.
31 But if he is found, he will pay sevenfold,
    every possession of his house he shall give.
32 He who commits adultery with a woman lacks sense,[g]
    he destroys himself[h] who does it.
33 A wound and dishonor he will find,
    and his disgrace will not be wiped out.
34 For jealousy is the fury of a husband,
    and he will not show restraint on the day of revenge.
35 He will not accept any compensation,[i]
    and he will not be willing, though the bribe is large.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:23 Hebrew “lives”
  2. Proverbs 6:24 Or “wife”
  3. Proverbs 6:24 Literally “a foreign woman”
  4. Proverbs 6:26 Or “whore”
  5. Proverbs 6:26 Literally “the woman of a man”
  6. Proverbs 6:30 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  7. Proverbs 6:32 Literally “heart”
  8. Proverbs 6:32 Or “his soul,” or “his life”
  9. Proverbs 6:35 Literally “the face of any compensation”

23 For the commandment is (A)a lamp and the teaching a light,
    and the (B)reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24 to preserve you from the evil woman,[a]
    from the smooth tongue of (C)the adulteress.[b]
25 (D)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
    and do not let her capture you with her (E)eyelashes;
26 for (F)the price of a prostitute is only (G)a loaf of bread,[c]
    but a married woman[d] (H)hunts down a precious life.
27 Can a man carry (I)fire next to his (J)chest
    and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one (K)walk on hot coals
    and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife;
    none who touches her (L)will go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
    to (M)satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
31 but (N)if he is caught, he will pay (O)sevenfold;
    he will give all the goods of his house.
32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;
    he who does it destroys himself.
33 He will get wounds and dishonor,
    and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 For (P)jealousy makes a man furious,
    and he will not spare when (Q)he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation;
    he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:24 Revocalization (compare Septuagint) yields from the wife of a neighbor
  2. Proverbs 6:24 Hebrew the foreign woman
  3. Proverbs 6:26 Or (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate) for a prostitute leaves a man with nothing but a loaf of bread
  4. Proverbs 6:26 Hebrew a man's wife