Proverbs 5:3-23
Legacy Standard Bible
3 For the lips of a (A)strange woman (B)drip honey
And (C)smoother than oil is her [a]speech;
4 But her end is (D)bitter as wormwood,
(E)Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet (F)go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol,
6 Lest she watch the (G)path of life;
Her tracks are (H)unstable, she (I)does not know it.
7 (J)So now, my sons, listen to me
And (K)do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
8 (L)Keep your way far from her
And do not go near the (M)door of her house,
9 Lest you give your splendor to others
And your years to the cruel one;
10 Lest strangers be satisfied by your strength
And by your painful labor, those in the house of a foreigner;
11 And you groan at your [b]end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;
12 And you say, “How I have (N)hated discipline!
And my heart (O)spurned reproof!
13 I have not listened to the voice of my (P)instructors,
And I have not inclined my ear to my teachers!
14 I was almost in utter ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern
And [c]fresh water from your own well.
16 Should your (Q)springs be dispersed abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be for you alone,
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your (R)fountain be blessed,
And (S)be glad in the (T)wife of your youth.
19 As a loving (U)hind and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be [d]intoxicated always with her love.
20 So why should you, my son, be intoxicated with a (V)strange woman
And embrace the bosom of a (W)foreign woman?
21 For the (X)ways of a man are before the eyes of Yahweh,
And He (Y)watches all his tracks.
22 His (Z)own iniquities will capture him who is the wicked one,
And with the cords of his sin he will be held fast.
23 He will (AA)die for lack of discipline,
And in the abundance of his [e]folly he will [f]stumble in intoxication.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 5:3 Lit palate
- Proverbs 5:11 Or latter
- Proverbs 5:15 Lit flowing
- Proverbs 5:19 Or exhilarated
- Proverbs 5:23 A lack of wisdom due to negligence or carelessness; the activity of an ignorant fool
- Proverbs 5:23 Or go astray
Proverbs 5:3-23
New American Standard Bible
3 For the lips of an [a](A)adulteress (B)drip honey,
And her [b]speech is (C)smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is (D)bitter as wormwood,
(E)Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet (F)go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.
6 [c]She does not ponder the (G)path of life;
Her ways are (H)unstable, she (I)does not know it.
7 (J)Now then, my sons, listen to me
And (K)do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
8 (L)Keep your way far from her,
And do not go near the (M)door of her house,
9 Otherwise you will give your vigor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
10 And strangers will be filled with your strength,
And your hard-earned possessions will go to the house of a foreigner;
11 And you will groan [d]in [e]the end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;
12 And you say, “How I (N)hated instruction!
And my heart (O)disdainfully rejected rebuke!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my (P)teachers,
Nor incline my ear to my instructors!
14 I was almost in total ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
And [f]fresh water from your own well.
16 Should your (Q)springs overflow into the street,
Streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be yours alone,
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your (R)fountain be blessed,
And (S)rejoice in the (T)wife of your youth.
19 Like a loving (U)doe and a graceful mountain goat,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be [g]exhilarated always with her love.
20 For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an [h](V)adulteress,
And embrace the breasts of a (W)foreigner?
21 For the (X)ways of everyone are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He (Y)observes all his paths.
22 His (Z)own wrongdoings will trap the wicked,
And he will be held by the ropes of his sin.
23 He will (AA)die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his foolishness he will go astray.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 5:3 Lit strange woman
- Proverbs 5:3 Lit palate
- Proverbs 5:6 Lit That she not watch
- Proverbs 5:11 Or at
- Proverbs 5:11 Lit your end
- Proverbs 5:15 Lit flowing
- Proverbs 5:19 Lit intoxicated
- Proverbs 5:20 Lit strange woman
Proverbs 6:20-35
Legacy Standard Bible
Warning Against Adultery
20 (A)My son, observe the commandment of your father
And do not abandon the [a]law of your mother;
21 (B)Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you (C)walk about, [b]they will lead you;
When you sleep, [c]they will keep watch over you;
And when you awake, [d]they will speak to you.
23 For (D)the commandment is a lamp and the [e]law is light;
And reproofs for discipline are the way of life
24 To (E)keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.
25 (F)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her capture you with her (G)eyelids.
26 For (H)on account of [f]a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread,
And [g]an adulteress (I)hunts for the precious [h]life.
27 Can a man [i]take fire in his bosom
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can a man walk on hot coals
And his feet not be scorched?
29 So is the one who (J)goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her (K)will not [j]go unpunished.
30 [k]Men do not despise a thief if he steals
To (L)fill [l]himself when he is hungry;
31 But when he is found, he must (M)repay sevenfold;
He must give all the [m]substance of his house.
32 The one who commits adultery with a woman is (N)lacking a heart of wisdom;
He who would (O)destroy his soul does it.
33 Wounds and disgrace he will find,
And his reproach will not be blotted out.
34 For (P)jealousy [n]enrages a man,
And he will not spare in the (Q)day of vengeance.
35 He will not [o]accept any ransom,
He will not be willing though you give many bribes.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:20 Or instruction
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:23 Or instruction
- Proverbs 6:26 Or a woman who is a harlot
- Proverbs 6:26 Or a woman of another man
- Proverbs 6:26 Lit soul
- Proverbs 6:27 Lit snatch up
- Proverbs 6:29 Lit be innocent
- Proverbs 6:30 Or Do not men...?; lit They do not
- Proverbs 6:30 Lit his soul
- Proverbs 6:31 Or wealth
- Proverbs 6:34 Lit is the rage of
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit lift up the face of
Proverbs 6:20-35
New American Standard Bible
20 (A)My son, comply with the commandment of your father,
And do not ignore the [a]teaching of your mother;
21 (B)Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you (C)walk, [b]they will guide you;
When you sleep, [c]they will watch over you;
And when you awake, [d]they will talk to you.
23 For (D)the commandment is a lamp and the [e]teaching is light;
And rebukes for discipline are the way of life
24 To (E)keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.
25 (F)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her capture you with her (G)eyelids.
26 For (H)the price of a prostitute reduces one to a loaf of bread,
And [f]an adulteress (I)hunts for a precious life.
27 Can anyone take fire in his lap
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can a person walk on hot coals
And his feet not be scorched?
29 So is the one who (J)goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her (K)will not [g]go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
To (L)satisfy [h]himself when he is hungry;
31 But when he is found, he must (M)repay seven times as much;
He must give up all the property of his house.
32 One who commits adultery with a woman is (N)lacking [i]sense;
He who would (O)destroy [j]himself commits it.
33 He will find wounds and disgrace,
And his shame will not be removed.
34 For (P)jealousy [k]enrages a man,
And he will not have compassion on the (Q)day of vengeance.
35 He will not [l]accept any settlement,
Nor will he be [m]satisfied though you make it a large gift.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:20 Or law
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:23 Or law
- Proverbs 6:26 Lit a man’s wife
- Proverbs 6:29 Lit be innocent
- Proverbs 6:30 Lit his soul
- Proverbs 6:32 Lit heart
- Proverbs 6:32 Lit his soul
- Proverbs 6:34 Lit is the rage of
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit lift up the face of any
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit willing
Proverbs 7:4-27
Legacy Standard Bible
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend;
5 In order to keep you from the strange woman,
From the foreign woman who [a]flatters with her words.
6 For (A)at the window of my house
I looked out (B)through my lattice,
7 And I saw among the (C)simple,
And discerned among the [b]sons
A young man (D)lacking a heart of wisdom,
8 Passing through the street near (E)her corner;
And he strides along the way to (F)her house,
9 In the (G)twilight, in the evening of that day,
In the [c]middle of the night, and in the thick darkness.
10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him,
(H)Dressed as a harlot and [d]cunning of heart.
11 She is (I)boisterous and rebellious,
Her (J)feet do not dwell at home;
12 Stepping in the streets, stepping (K)in the squares,
And near every corner she (L)lies in wait.
13 So she seizes him and kisses him
[e]And with a (M)brazen face she says to him:
14 “The sacrifices of (N)peace offerings are with me;
Today I (O)paid my vows.
15 Therefore I have come out to meet you,
To seek your face earnestly, 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, then, let us drink our fill as lovers until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with the pleasures of love.
19 For [f]my husband is not at home,
He has gone on a journey far away;
20 He took a (T)bag of silver in his hand,
On the day of the full moon he will come home.”
21 With her abundant [g]persuasions she entices him;
With her (U)flattering lips she drives him to herself.
22 He suddenly follows her
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or [h]as one in fetters to the discipline of an ignorant fool,
23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
As a (V)bird hastens to the snare,
And he does not know that it will cost him his [i]soul.
24 So now, my sons, (W)listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart (X)go astray into her ways,
Do not wander into her pathways.
26 For many are the slain whom she has cast down,
And (Y)numerous are all those killed by her.
27 The ways to Sheol are in her (Z)house,
Descending to the chambers of death.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:5 Lit is smooth
- Proverbs 7:7 Or youths
- Proverbs 7:9 Lit pupil (of the eye)
- Proverbs 7:10 Lit guarded
- Proverbs 7:13 Lit She makes bold her face and says
- Proverbs 7:19 Lit the man
- Proverbs 7:21 Lit learning
- Proverbs 7:22 Some ancient versions as a stag goes into a trap
- Proverbs 7:23 Or life
Proverbs 7:4-27
New American Standard Bible
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend,
5 So that they may keep you from an [a]adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6 For (A)at the window of my house
I looked out (B)through my lattice,
7 And I saw among the (C)naive,
And discerned among the [b]youths
A young man (D)lacking [c]sense,
8 Passing through the street near (E)her corner;
And he walks along the way to (F)her house,
9 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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:5 Lit strange woman
- Proverbs 7:7 Lit sons
- Proverbs 7:7 Lit heart
- Proverbs 7:9 Lit evening of the day
- Proverbs 7:9 Lit pupil (of the eye)
- Proverbs 7:13 Lit She makes bold her face and says
- Proverbs 7:14 Lit Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me
- Proverbs 7:19 Lit the man
- Proverbs 7:20 Lit in his hand
- Proverbs 7:21 Lit smooth
- Proverbs 7:22 Or as a stag goes into a trap; as in some ancient versions, Heb is uncertain
- Proverbs 7:26 Lit wounded
Proverbs 22:14
Legacy Standard Bible
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:14 Lit there
Proverbs 22:14
New American Standard Bible
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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:14 Lit strange woman
- Proverbs 22:14 Lit there
Proverbs 23:26-28
Legacy Standard Bible
26 (A)Give your heart to me, my son,
And let your eyes [a](B)delight in my ways.
27 For a harlot is a (C)deep pit
And [b]a (D)foreign woman is a narrow well.
28 Surely she (E)lies in wait as a robber,
And adds to the treacherous among men.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 23:26 Or observe
- Proverbs 23:27 Or an adulterous, cf. Prov 2:16
Proverbs 23:26-28
New American Standard Bible
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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 23:26 Another reading is observe
- Proverbs 23:27 Lit foreign
Proverbs 30:20-23
Legacy Standard Bible
20 This is the way of an (A)adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, “I have done no wrong.”
21 Under three things the earth quakes,
And under four, it cannot bear up:
22 Under a (B)slave when he becomes king,
And a wicked fool when he is satisfied with food,
23 Under [a]an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
And a servant-girl when she supplants her mistress.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:23 Lit a hated
Proverbs 30:20-23
New American Standard Bible
20 This is the way of an (A)adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, “I have done no wrong.”
21 Under three things the earth quakes,
And under four, it cannot endure:
22 Under a (B)slave when he becomes king,
And a fool when he is satisfied with food,
23 Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
And a female servant when she dispossesses her mistress.
Proverbs 31:3
Legacy Standard Bible
Proverbs 31:3
New American Standard Bible
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