Proverbs 5:18-7:27

English Standard Version

¹⁸ Let your ^(A)fountain be blessed,
    and ^(B)rejoice in ^(C)the wife of your youth,
¹⁹     a lovely ^(D)deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts ^(E)fill you at all times with delight;
    be intoxicated^[a] always in her love.
²⁰ Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with ^(F)a forbidden woman
    and embrace the bosom of ^(G)an adulteress?^[b]
21 For ^(H)a man's ways are ^(I)before the eyes of the Lord,
    and he ^(J)ponders^[c] all his paths.
²² The ^(K)iniquities of the wicked ^(L)ensnare him,
    and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
^23 (M)He dies for lack of discipline,
    and because of his great folly he is ^(N)led astray.

6 My son, if you have put up ^(O)security for your neighbor,
    have ^(P)given your pledge for a stranger,
² if you are ^(Q)snared in the words of your mouth,
    caught in the words of your mouth,
³ then do this, my son, and save yourself,
    for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
    go, hasten,^[d] and ^(R)plead urgently with your neighbor.
^4 (S)Give your eyes no sleep
    and your eyelids no slumber;
⁵ save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,^{[e]
    (T)}like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

^20 (BA)My son, keep your father's commandment,
    ^(BB)and forsake not your mother's teaching.
^21 (BC)Bind them on your heart always;
    ^(BD)tie them around your neck.
^22 (BE)When you walk, they^[g] will lead you;
    ^(BF)when you lie down, they will ^(BG)watch over you;
    and when you awake, they will talk with you.
²³ For the commandment is ^(BH)a lamp and the teaching a light,
    and the ^(BI)reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
²⁴ to preserve you from the evil woman,^[h]
    from the smooth tongue of ^(BJ)the adulteress.^[i]
25 (BK)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
    and do not let her capture you with her ^(BL)eyelashes;
²⁶ for ^(BM)the price of a prostitute is only ^(BN)a loaf of bread,^[j]
    but a married woman^{[k] (BO)}hunts down a precious life.
²⁷ Can a man carry ^(BP)fire next to his ^(BQ)chest
    and his clothes not be burned?
²⁸ Or can one ^(BR)walk on hot coals
    and his feet not be scorched?
²⁹ So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife;
    none who touches her ^(BS)will go unpunished.
³⁰ People do not despise a thief if he steals
    to ^(BT)satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
³¹ but ^(BU)if he is caught, he will pay ^(BV)sevenfold;
    he will give all the goods of his house.
³² He who commits adultery lacks sense;
    he who does it destroys himself.
³³ He will get wounds and dishonor,
    and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
³⁴ For ^(BW)jealousy makes a man furious,
    and he will not spare when ^(BX)he takes revenge.
³⁵ He will accept no compensation;
    he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

7 ^(BY)My son, keep my words
    and ^(BZ)treasure up my commandments with you;
^2 (CA)keep my commandments and live;
    keep my teaching as ^(CB)the apple of your eye;
^3 (CC)bind them on your fingers;
    ^(CD)write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
    and call insight your intimate friend,
⁵ to keep you from ^(CE)the forbidden^[l] woman,
    from ^(CF)the adulteress^[m] with her smooth words.