(A)For the lips of [a]an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is (B)smoother than oil;
But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death,
(C)Her steps lay hold of [b]hell.
Lest you ponder her path of life—
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.

Therefore hear me now, my children,
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
Remove your way far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house,
Lest you give your [c]honor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
10 Lest aliens be filled with your [d]wealth,
And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;
11 And you mourn at last,
When your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 And say:
“How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!
13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!
14 I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:3 Lit. a strange
  2. Proverbs 5:5 Or Sheol
  3. Proverbs 5:9 vigor
  4. Proverbs 5:10 Lit. strength

For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil;(A)
but in the end she is bitter as gall,(B)
    sharp as a double-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.(C)
She gives no thought to the way of life;
    her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.(D)

Now then, my sons, listen(E) to me;
    do not turn aside from what I say.
Keep to a path far from her,(F)
    do not go near the door of her house,
lest you lose your honor to others
    and your dignity[a] to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
    and your toil enrich the house of another.(G)
11 At the end of your life you will groan,
    when your flesh and body are spent.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
    How my heart spurned correction!(H)
13 I would not obey my teachers
    or turn my ear to my instructors.
14 And I was soon in serious trouble(I)
    in the assembly of God’s people.”(J)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:9 Or years