Proverbs 5-8

New International Version

⁷ Now then, my sons, listen^(G) to me;
    do not turn aside from what I say.
⁸ Keep to a path far from her,^(H)
    do not go near the door of her house,
⁹ 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.^(I)
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!^(J)
13 I would not obey my teachers
    or turn my ear to my instructors.
¹⁴ And I was soon in serious trouble^(K)
    in the assembly of God’s people.”^(L)

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^(M) be blessed,
    and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.^(N)
19 A loving doe, a graceful deer^(O)—
    may her breasts satisfy you always,
    may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
²⁰ Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
    Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

²¹ For your ways are in full view^(P) of the Lord,
    and he examines^(Q) all your paths.^(R)
22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;^(S)
    the cords of their sins hold them fast.^(T)
23 For lack of discipline they will die,^(U)
    led astray by their own great folly.^(V)

⁶ Go to the ant, you sluggard;^(AE)
    consider its ways and be wise!
⁷ It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
⁸ yet it stores its provisions in summer^(AF)
    and gathers its food at harvest.^(AG)

⁹ How long will you lie there, you sluggard?^(AH)
    When will you get up from your sleep?
¹⁰ A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest^(AI)—
¹¹ and poverty^(AJ) will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man.

¹² A troublemaker and a villain,
    who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
¹³     who winks maliciously with his eye,^(AK)
    signals with his feet
    and motions with his fingers,^(AL)
14     who plots evil^(AM) with deceit in his heart—
    he always stirs up conflict.^(AN)
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;^(AO)
    he will suddenly^(AP) be destroyed—without remedy.^(AQ)

¹⁶ There are six things the Lord hates,^(AR)
    seven that are detestable to him:
¹⁷         haughty eyes,^(AS)
        a lying tongue,^(AT)
        hands that shed innocent blood,^(AU)
18         a heart that devises wicked schemes,
        feet that are quick to rush into evil,^(AV)
19         a false witness^(AW) who pours out lies^(AX)
        and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.^(AY)

²⁵ Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
    or let her captivate you with her eyes.

²⁶ For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,
    but another man’s wife preys on your very life.^(BF)
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
    without his clothes being burned?
²⁸ Can a man walk on hot coals
    without his feet being scorched?
²⁹ So is he who sleeps^(BG) with another man’s wife;^(BH)
    no one who touches her will go unpunished.

³⁰ People do not despise a thief if he steals
    to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
³¹ Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,^(BI)
    though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
³² But a man who commits adultery^(BJ) has no sense;^(BK)
    whoever does so destroys himself.
³³ Blows and disgrace are his lot,
    and his shame will never^(BL) be wiped away.

³⁴ For jealousy^(BM) arouses a husband’s fury,^(BN)
    and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
³⁵ He will not accept any compensation;
    he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.^(BO)

⁶ At the window of my house
    I looked down through the lattice.
⁷ I saw among the simple,
    I noticed among the young men,
    a youth who had no sense.^(BT)
8 He was going down the street near her corner,
    walking along in the direction of her house
⁹ at twilight,^(BU) 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^(BV) and defiant,
    her feet never stay at home;
¹² now in the street, now in the squares,
    at every corner she lurks.)^(BW)
13 She took hold of him^(BX) and kissed him
    and with a brazen face she said:^(BY)

¹⁴ “Today I fulfilled my vows,
    and I have food from my fellowship offering^(BZ) 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^(CA)
    with myrrh,^(CB) aloes and cinnamon.
¹⁸ Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
    let’s enjoy ourselves with love!^(CC)
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.^(CD)
22 All at once he followed her
    like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer^[c] stepping into a noose^[d](CE)
23     till an arrow pierces^(CF) his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
    little knowing it will cost him his life.^(CG)

²⁴ Now then, my sons, listen^(CH) to me;
    pay attention to what I say.
²⁵ Do not let your heart turn to her ways
    or stray into her paths.^(CI)
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.^(CJ)

¹² “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
    I possess knowledge and discretion.^(CT)
13 To fear the Lord^(CU) is to hate evil;^(CV)
    I hate^(CW) pride and arrogance,
    evil behavior and perverse speech.
¹⁴ Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
    I have insight, I have power.^(CX)
15 By me kings reign
    and rulers^(CY) issue decrees that are just;
¹⁶ by me princes govern,^(CZ)
    and nobles—all who rule on earth.^[f]
17 I love those who love me,^(DA)
    and those who seek me find me.^(DB)
18 With me are riches and honor,^(DC)
    enduring wealth and prosperity.^(DD)
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;^(DE)
    what I yield surpasses choice silver.^(DF)
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,^(DG)
    along the paths of justice,
²¹ bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
    and making their treasuries full.^(DH)

²² “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,^[g][h]
    before his deeds of old;
²³ I was formed long ages ago,
    at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
²⁴ When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
    when there were no springs overflowing with water;^(DI)
25 before the mountains were settled in place,^(DJ)
    before the hills, I was given birth,^(DK)
26 before he made the world or its fields
    or any of the dust of the earth.^(DL)
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,^(DM)
    when he marked out the horizon^(DN) on the face of the deep,
²⁸ when he established the clouds above^(DO)
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,^(DP)
29 when he gave the sea its boundary^(DQ)
    so the waters would not overstep his command,^(DR)
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.^(DS)
30     Then I was constantly^[i] at his side.^(DT)
I was filled with delight day after day,
    rejoicing always in his presence,
³¹ rejoicing in his whole world
    and delighting in mankind.^(DU)

³² “Now then, my children, listen^(DV) to me;
    blessed are^(DW) those who keep my ways.^(DX)
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
    do not disregard it.
³⁴ Blessed are those who listen^(DY) to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.
³⁵ For those who find me^(DZ) find life^(EA)
    and receive favor from the Lord.^(EB)
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;^(EC)
    all who hate me love death.”^(ED)