16 So (A)you will be delivered from the forbidden[a] woman,
    from (B)the adulteress[b] with (C)her smooth words,

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew strange
  2. Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew foreign woman

16 You will be saved from the loose woman,[a]
    from the adulteress[b] with her smooth words,(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 2.16 Heb strange woman
  2. 2.16 Heb alien woman

16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,(A)
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,

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For the lips of (A)a forbidden[a] woman drip honey,
    and her speech[b] is (B)smoother than oil,

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:3 Hebrew strange; also verse 20
  2. Proverbs 5:3 Hebrew palate

For the lips of a loose woman[a] drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil,(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 5.3 Heb strange woman

For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil;(A)

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20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with (A)a forbidden woman
    and embrace the bosom of (B)an adulteress?[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:20 Hebrew a foreign woman

20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, by another woman
    and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 5.20 Heb alien woman

20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
    Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

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to keep you from (A)the forbidden[a] woman,
    from (B)the adulteress[b] with her smooth words.

For at (C)the window of my house
    I have looked out through my lattice,
and I have seen among (D)the simple,
    I have perceived among the youths,
    a young man (E)lacking sense,
passing along the street (F)near her corner,
    taking the road to her house
in (G)the twilight, in the evening,
    at (H)the time of night and darkness.

10 And behold, the woman meets him,
    (I)dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.[c]
11 She is (J)loud and (K)wayward;
    (L)her feet do not stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the market,
    and (M)at every corner she (N)lies in wait.
13 She seizes him and kisses him,
    and with (O)bold face she says to him,
14 “I had to (P)offer sacrifices,[d]
    and today I have (Q)paid my vows;
15 so now I have come out to meet you,
    to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with (R)coverings,
    colored linens from (S)Egyptian linen;
17 I have perfumed my bed with (T)myrrh,
    aloes, and (U)cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
    let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For (V)my husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey;
20 he took a bag of money with him;
    at full moon he will come home.”

21 With much seductive speech she persuades him;
    with (W)her smooth talk she compels him.
22 All at once he follows her,
    as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast[e]
23     till an arrow pierces its liver;
as (X)a bird rushes into a snare;
    he does not know that it will cost him his life.

24 And (Y)now, O sons, listen to me,
    and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
    do not stray into her paths,
26 for many a victim has she laid low,
    and all her slain are (Z)a mighty throng.
27 Her house is (AA)the way to Sheol,
    going down to the chambers of death.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:5 Hebrew strange
  2. Proverbs 7:5 Hebrew the foreign woman
  3. Proverbs 7:10 Hebrew guarded in heart
  4. Proverbs 7:14 Hebrew peace offerings
  5. Proverbs 7:22 Probable reading (compare Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac); Hebrew as a chain to discipline a fool

that they may keep you from the loose woman,[a]
    from the adulteress[b] with her smooth words.(A)

For at the window of my house
    I looked out through my lattice,
and I saw among the simple ones,
    I observed among the youths,
    a young man without sense,(B)
passing along the street near her corner,
    taking the road to her house(C)
in the twilight, in the evening,
    at the time of night and darkness.(D)

10 Then a woman comes toward him
    decked out like a prostitute, with hidden intent.
11 She is loud and wayward;
    her feet do not stay at home;(E)
12 now in the street, now in the squares,
    and at every corner she lies in wait.(F)
13 She seizes him and kisses him,
    and with impudent face she says to him:
14 “I had to offer sacrifices,
    and today I have paid my vows;(G)
15 so now I have come out to meet you,
    to seek you eagerly, and I have found you!
16 I have decked my couch with coverings,
    colored spreads of Egyptian linen;(H)
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,
    aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
    let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For my husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey.
20 He took a bag of money with him;
    he will not come home until full moon.”

21 With much seductive speech she persuades him;
    with her smooth talk she compels him.(I)
22 Right away he follows her
    and goes like an ox to the slaughter
or bounds like a stag toward the trap[c]
23     until an arrow pierces its entrails.
He is like a bird rushing into a snare,
    not knowing that it will cost him his life.(J)

24 And now, my children, listen to me,
    and be attentive to the words of my mouth.(K)
25 Do not let your hearts turn aside to her ways;
    do not stray into her paths.(L)
26 For many are those she has laid low,
    and numerous are her victims.(M)
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
    going down to the chambers of death.(N)

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Footnotes

  1. 7.5 Heb strange woman
  2. 7.5 Heb alien woman
  3. 7.22 Cn Compare Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain

They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words.(A)

At the window of my house
    I looked down through the lattice.
I saw among the simple,
    I noticed among the young men,
    a youth who had no sense.(B)
He was going down the street near her corner,
    walking along in the direction of her house
at twilight,(C) as the day was fading,
    as the dark of night set in.

10 Then out came a woman to meet him,
    dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
11 (She is unruly(D) and defiant,
    her feet never stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the squares,
    at every corner she lurks.)(E)
13 She took hold of him(F) and kissed him
    and with a brazen face she said:(G)

14 “Today I fulfilled my vows,
    and I have food from my fellowship offering(H) at home.
15 So I came out to meet you;
    I looked for you and have found you!
16 I have covered my bed
    with colored linens from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed(I)
    with myrrh,(J) aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
    let’s enjoy ourselves with love!(K)
19 My husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey.
20 He took his purse filled with money
    and will not be home till full moon.”

21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
    she seduced him with her smooth talk.(L)
22 All at once he followed her
    like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer[a] stepping into a noose[b](M)
23     till an arrow pierces(N) his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
    little knowing it will cost him his life.(O)

24 Now then, my sons, listen(P) to me;
    pay attention to what I say.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways
    or stray into her paths.(Q)
26 Many are the victims she has brought down;
    her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is a highway to the grave,
    leading down to the chambers of death.(R)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:22 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew fool
  2. Proverbs 7:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.

14 The mouth of (A)forbidden[a] women is (B)a deep pit;
    (C)he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:14 Hebrew strange

14 The mouth of a loose woman[a] is a deep pit;
    he with whom the Lord is angry falls into it.

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Footnotes

  1. 22.14 Heb strange woman

14 The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;(A)
    a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.(B)

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26 My son, give me your heart,
    and let your eyes observe[a] my ways.
27 For a prostitute is (A)a deep pit;
    (B)an adulteress[b] is a narrow (C)well.
28 (D)She lies in wait like a robber
    and increases the traitors among mankind.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:26 Or delight in
  2. Proverbs 23:27 Hebrew a foreign woman

26 My child, give me your heart,
    and let your eyes observe[a] my ways.(A)
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit;
    an adulteress[b] is a narrow well.(B)
28 She lies in wait like a robber
    and increases the number of the faithless.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 23.26 Or delight in
  2. 23.27 Heb alien woman

Saying 18

26 My son,(A) give me your heart
    and let your eyes delight in my ways,(B)
27 for an adulterous woman is a deep pit,(C)
    and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Like a bandit she lies in wait(D)
    and multiplies the unfaithful among men.

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