Add parallel Print Page Options

16 to deliver you from the strange woman,
    even from the foreigner who flatters with her words,

Read full chapter

16 To (A)rescue you from the strange woman,
From the (B)foreign woman who flatters with her words,

Read full chapter

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey.
    Her mouth is smoother than oil,

Read full chapter

For the lips of an [a](A)adulteress (B)drip honey,
And her [b]speech is (C)smoother than oil;

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:3 Lit strange woman
  2. Proverbs 5:3 Lit palate

20 For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress?
    Why embrace the bosom of another?

Read full chapter

20 For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an [a](A)adulteress,
And embrace the breasts of a (B)foreigner?

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:20 Lit strange woman

that they may keep you from the strange woman,
    from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
For at the window of my house,
    I looked out through my lattice.
I saw among the simple ones.
    I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
passing through the street near her corner,
    he went the way to her house,
in the twilight, in the evening of the day,
    in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute,
    and with crafty intent.
11 She is loud and defiant.
    Her feet don’t stay in her house.
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the squares,
    and lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him.
    With an impudent face she said to him:
14 “Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me.
    Today I have paid my vows.
15 Therefore I came out to meet you,
    to diligently seek your face,
    and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry,
    with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning.
    Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
19 For my husband isn’t at home.
    He has gone on a long journey.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him.
    He will come home at the full moon.”
21 With persuasive words, she led him astray.
    With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
22 He followed her immediately,
    as an ox goes to the slaughter,
    as a fool stepping into a noose.
23 Until an arrow strikes through his liver,
    as a bird hurries to the snare,
    and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.

24 Now therefore, sons, listen to me.
    Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Don’t let your heart turn to her ways.
    Don’t go astray in her paths,
26 for she has thrown down many wounded.
    Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,[a]
    going down to the rooms of death.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 7:27 Sheol is the place of the dead.

So that they may keep you from an [a]adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

For (A)at the window of my house
I looked out (B)through my lattice,
And I saw among the (C)naive,
And discerned among the [b]youths
A young man (D)lacking [c]sense,
Passing through the street near (E)her corner;
And he walks along the way to (F)her house,
In the (G)twilight, in the [d]evening,
In the [e]middle of the night and the darkness.
10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him,
(H)Dressed as a prostitute and cunning of heart.
11 She is (I)boisterous and rebellious,
Her (J)feet do not remain at home;
12 She is now in the streets, now (K)in the public squares,
And (L)lurks by every corner.
13 So she seizes him and kisses him,
[f]And with a (M)brazen face she says to him:
14 [g]I was due to offer (N)peace offerings;
Today I have (O)paid my vows.
15 Therefore I have come out to meet you,
To seek your presence diligently, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with (P)coverings,
With colored (Q)linens of Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my bed
With (R)myrrh, aloes, and (S)cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning;
Let’s delight ourselves with caresses.
19 For [h]my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey.
20 He has taken a (T)bag of money [i]with him.
At the full moon he will come home.”
21 With her many persuasions she entices him;
With her [j](U)flattering lips she seduces him.
22 Suddenly he follows her
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as [k]one walks in ankle bracelets to the discipline of a fool,
23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
As a (V)bird hurries to the snare,
So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

24 Now therefore, my sons, (W)listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart (X)turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths.
26 For many are the [l]victims she has brought to ruin,
And (Y)numerous are all those slaughtered by her.
27 Her (Z)house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:5 Lit strange woman
  2. Proverbs 7:7 Lit sons
  3. Proverbs 7:7 Lit heart
  4. Proverbs 7:9 Lit evening of the day
  5. Proverbs 7:9 Lit pupil (of the eye)
  6. Proverbs 7:13 Lit She makes bold her face and says
  7. Proverbs 7:14 Lit Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me
  8. Proverbs 7:19 Lit the man
  9. Proverbs 7:20 Lit in his hand
  10. Proverbs 7:21 Lit smooth
  11. Proverbs 7:22 Or as a stag goes into a trap; as in some ancient versions, Heb is uncertain
  12. Proverbs 7:26 Lit wounded

14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit.
    He who is under Yahweh’s wrath will fall into it.

Read full chapter

14 The mouth of [a](A)an adulteress is a deep pit;
He who is (B)cursed of the Lord will fall [b]into it.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:14 Lit strange woman
  2. Proverbs 22:14 Lit there

26 My son, give me your heart;
    and let your eyes keep in my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit;
    and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Yes, she lies in wait like a robber,
    and increases the unfaithful among men.

Read full chapter

26 (A)Give me your heart, my son,
And let your eyes [a](B)delight in my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a (C)deep pit,
And a [b](D)strange woman is a narrow well.
28 Certainly she (E)lurks as a robber,
And increases the treacherous among mankind.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:26 Another reading is observe
  2. Proverbs 23:27 Lit foreign