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15 Drink water out of your own cistern,
    running water out of your own well.
16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,
    streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be for yourself alone,
    not for strangers with you.
18 Let your spring be blessed.
    Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 A loving doe and a graceful deer—
    let her breasts satisfy you at all times.
    Be captivated always with her love.

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15 Drink water from your own well—
    share your love only with your wife.[a]
16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,
    having sex with just anyone?[b]
17 You should reserve it for yourselves.
    Never share it with strangers.

18 Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
    Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
    Let her breasts satisfy you always.
    May you always be captivated by her love.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:15 Hebrew Drink water from your own cistern, / flowing water from your own well.
  2. 5:16 Hebrew Why spill your springs in the streets, / your streams in the city squares?

15 Drink water from your own cistern,
    running water from your own well.
16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,
    your streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be yours alone,
    never to be shared with strangers.
18 May your fountain(A) be blessed,
    and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.(B)
19 A loving doe, a graceful deer(C)
    may her breasts satisfy you always,
    may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

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16 A gracious woman obtains honor,
    but violent men obtain riches.

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16 A gracious woman gains respect,
    but ruthless men gain only wealth.

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16 A kindhearted woman gains honor,(A)
    but ruthless men gain only wealth.

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22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout,
    is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

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22 A beautiful woman who lacks discretion
    is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.

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22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
    is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

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A worthy woman is the crown of her husband,
    but a disgraceful wife is as rottenness in his bones.

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A worthy wife is a crown for her husband,
    but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.

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A wife of noble character(A) is her husband’s crown,
    but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.(B)

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14 Every wise woman builds her house,
    but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

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14 A wise woman builds her home,
    but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.

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14 The wise woman builds her house,(A)
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

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22 Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing,
    and obtains favor of Yahweh.

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22 The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,
    and he receives favor from the Lord.

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22 He who finds a wife finds what is good(A)
    and receives favor from the Lord.(B)

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It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop
    than to share a house with a contentious woman.

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It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic
    than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

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Better to live on a corner of the roof
    than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(A)

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19 It is better to dwell in a desert land,
    than with a contentious and fretful woman.

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19 It’s better to live alone in the desert
    than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife.

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19 Better to live in a desert
    than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.(A)

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24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop
    than to share a house with a contentious woman.

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24 It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic
    than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

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24 Better to live on a corner of the roof
    than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(A)

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