Proverbs 5
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised
Warning against Impurity and Infidelity
5 My child, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding,
2 so that you may hold on to prudence,
and your lips may guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of a loose[a] woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;
4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps follow the path to Sheol.
6 She does not keep straight to the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
7 And now, my child,[b] listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house;
9 or you will give your honour to others,
and your years to the merciless,
10 and strangers will take their fill of your wealth,
and your labours will go to the house of an alien;
11 and at the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, ‘Oh, how I hated discipline,
and my heart despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 Now I am at the point of utter ruin
in the public assembly.’
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.
16 Should your springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for sharing with strangers.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
May her breasts satisfy you at all times;
may you be intoxicated always by her love.
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, by another woman
and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?
21 For human ways are under the eyes of the Lord,
and he examines all their paths.
22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare them,
and they are caught in the toils of their sin.
23 They die for lack of discipline,
and because of their great folly they are lost.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 5:3 Heb strange
- Proverbs 5:7 Gk Vg: Heb children
Proverbs 5
English Standard Version
Warning Against Adultery
5 (A)My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
(B)incline your ear to my understanding,
2 that you may keep (C)discretion,
and your lips may (D)guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of (E)a forbidden[a] woman drip honey,
and her speech[b] is (F)smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is (G)bitter as (H)wormwood,
(I)sharp as (J)a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet (K)go down to death;
her steps follow the path to[c] Sheol;
6 she (L)does not ponder the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
7 And (M)now, O sons, listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your (N)labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and at the end of your life you (O)groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, (P)“How I hated discipline,
and my heart (Q)despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 (R)I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”
15 Drink (S)water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.
16 Should your (T)springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water (U)in the streets?
17 (V)Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for strangers with you.
18 Let your (W)fountain be blessed,
and (X)rejoice in (Y)the wife of your youth,
19 a lovely (Z)deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts (AA)fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated[d] always in her love.
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with (AB)a forbidden woman
and embrace the bosom of (AC)an adulteress?[e]
21 For (AD)a man's ways are (AE)before the eyes of the Lord,
and he (AF)ponders[f] all his paths.
22 The (AG)iniquities of the wicked (AH)ensnare him,
and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
23 (AI)He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is (AJ)led astray.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 5:3 Hebrew strange; also verse 20
- Proverbs 5:3 Hebrew palate
- Proverbs 5:5 Hebrew lay hold of
- Proverbs 5:19 Hebrew be led astray; also verse 20
- Proverbs 5:20 Hebrew a foreign woman
- Proverbs 5:21 Or makes level
Proverbios 5
La Biblia de las Américas
Advertencias sobre la mujer extraña
5 Hijo mío, presta atención(A) a mi sabiduría,
inclina tu oído(B) a mi prudencia,
2 para que guardes la discreción(C),
y tus labios conserven el conocimiento(D).
3 Porque los labios de la extraña(E) destilan miel(F),
y su lengua[a] es más suave que el aceite(G);
4 pero al final es amarga como el ajenjo(H),
aguda como espada de dos filos(I).
5 Sus pies descienden a la muerte,
sus pasos solo logran el Seol(J).
6 No considera[b] la senda de la vida(K);
sus senderos son inestables(L), y no lo sabe(M).
7 Ahora pues, hijos míos, escuchadme,
y no os apartéis(N) de las palabras de mi boca(O).
8 Aleja de la extraña[c] tu camino(P),
y no te acerques a la puerta de su casa(Q);
9 no sea que des tu vigor a otros
y tus años al cruel;
10 no sea que se sacien los extraños de tus bienes[d],
y tu esfuerzo vaya a casa del extranjero;
11 y al final te lamentes,
cuando tu carne y tu cuerpo se hayan consumido,
12 y digas: ¡Cómo he aborrecido la instrucción(R),
y mi corazón ha despreciado la corrección(S)!
13 No he escuchado la voz de mis maestros,
ni he inclinado mi oído a mis instructores(T).
14 He estado a punto de completa ruina
en medio de la asamblea y la congregación.
15 Bebe agua de tu cisterna
y agua fresca[e] de tu pozo.
16 ¿Se derramarán por fuera tus manantiales(U),
tus arroyos de aguas por las calles?
17 Sean para ti solo,
y no para los extraños contigo.
18 Sea bendita tu fuente(V),
y regocíjate(W) con la mujer de tu juventud(X),
19 amante cierva y graciosa gacela(Y);
que sus senos te satisfagan en todo tiempo,
su amor te embriague para siempre.
20 ¿Por qué has de embriagarte, hijo mío, con una extraña(Z),
y abrazar el seno de una desconocida[f](AA)?
21 Pues los caminos del hombre están delante de los ojos del Señor(AB),
y Él observa todos sus senderos(AC).
22 De sus propias iniquidades será presa el impío,
y en los lazos de su pecado quedará atrapado(AD).
23 Morirá por falta de instrucción(AE),
y por su mucha necedad perecerá.
Footnotes
- Proverbios 5:3 Lit., paladar
- Proverbios 5:6 Lit., A menos que considere
- Proverbios 5:8 Lit., de ella
- Proverbios 5:10 O, tu fuerza
- Proverbios 5:15 Lit., corriente
- Proverbios 5:20 O, extranjera
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
