For the lips of an [a](A)adulteress (B)drip honey,
And her [b]speech is (C)smoother than oil;
But in the end she is (D)bitter as wormwood,
(E)Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet (F)go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.
[c]She does not ponder the (G)path of life;
Her ways are (H)unstable, she (I)does not know it.

(J)Now then, my sons, listen to me
And (K)do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
(L)Keep your way far from her,
And do not go near the (M)door of her house,
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.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:3 Lit strange woman
  2. Proverbs 5:3 Lit palate
  3. Proverbs 5:6 Lit That she not watch
  4. Proverbs 5:11 Or at
  5. Proverbs 5:11 Lit your end
  6. Proverbs 5:15 Lit flowing
  7. Proverbs 5:19 Lit intoxicated
  8. Proverbs 5:20 Lit strange woman

For the lips of an [a](A)adulteress (B)drip honey
And (C)smoother than oil is her [b]speech;
But in the end she is (D)bitter as wormwood,
(E)Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet (F)go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.
[c]She does not ponder the (G)path of life;
Her ways are (H)unstable, she (I)does not know it.

(J)Now then, my sons, listen to me
And (K)do not depart from the words of my mouth.
(L)Keep your way far from her
And do not go near the (M)door of her house,
Or 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 goods will go to the house of an alien;
11 And you groan at your [d]final end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;
12 And you say, “How I have (N)hated instruction!
And my heart (O)spurned reproof!
13 “I have not listened to the voice of my (P)teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to my instructors!
14 “I was almost in utter ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

15 Drink water from your own cistern
And [e]fresh water from your own well.
16 Should your (Q)springs be dispersed abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?
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 As a loving (U)hind and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be [f]exhilarated always with her love.
20 For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an [g](V)adulteress
And embrace the bosom of a (W)foreigner?
21 For the (X)ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He (Y)watches all his paths.
22 His (Z)own iniquities will capture the wicked,
And he will be held with the cords of his sin.
23 He will (AA)die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:3 Lit strange woman
  2. Proverbs 5:3 Lit palate
  3. Proverbs 5:6 Lit That she not watch
  4. Proverbs 5:11 Or latter
  5. Proverbs 5:15 Lit flowing
  6. Proverbs 5:19 Lit intoxicated
  7. Proverbs 5:20 Lit strange woman

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.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:20 Or law
  2. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  3. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  4. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  5. Proverbs 6:23 Or law
  6. Proverbs 6:26 Lit a man’s wife
  7. Proverbs 6:29 Lit be innocent
  8. Proverbs 6:30 Lit his soul
  9. Proverbs 6:32 Lit heart
  10. Proverbs 6:32 Lit his soul
  11. Proverbs 6:34 Lit is the rage of
  12. Proverbs 6:35 Lit lift up the face of any
  13. Proverbs 6:35 Lit willing

20 (A)My son, observe the commandment of your father
And do not forsake the [a]teaching 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 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 reproofs for discipline are the way of life
24 To (E)keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the [f]adulteress.
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 a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread,
And [g]an adulteress (I)hunts for the precious life.
27 Can a man [h]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 [i]go unpunished.
30 [j]Men do not despise a thief if he steals
To (L)satisfy [k]himself when he is hungry;
31 But when he is found, he must (M)repay sevenfold;
He must give all the [l]substance of his house.
32 The one who commits adultery with a woman is (N)lacking [m]sense;
He who would (O)destroy [n]himself does it.
33 Wounds and disgrace he will find,
And his reproach will not be blotted out.
34 For (P)jealousy [o]enrages a man,
And he will not spare in the (Q)day of vengeance.
35 He will not [p]accept any ransom,
Nor will he be [q]satisfied though you give many [r]gifts.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:20 Or law
  2. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  3. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  4. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  5. Proverbs 6:23 Or law
  6. Proverbs 6:24 Lit foreign woman
  7. Proverbs 6:26 Lit a man’s wife
  8. Proverbs 6:27 Lit snatch up
  9. Proverbs 6:29 Lit be innocent
  10. Proverbs 6:30 Lit They do not; or Do not men...?
  11. Proverbs 6:30 Lit his soul
  12. Proverbs 6:31 Or wealth
  13. Proverbs 6:32 Lit heart
  14. Proverbs 6:32 Lit his soul
  15. Proverbs 6:34 Lit is the rage of
  16. Proverbs 6:35 Lit lift up the face of any
  17. Proverbs 6:35 Lit willing
  18. Proverbs 6:35 Or bribes

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend,
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.

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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

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend;
That they may keep you from an [a]adulteress,
From the foreigner who [b]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](C)naive,
And discerned among the [d]youths
A young man (D)lacking [e]sense,
Passing through the street near (E)her corner;
And he [f]takes the way to (F)her house,
In the (G)twilight, in the [g]evening,
In the [h]middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him,
(H)Dressed as a harlot 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 squares,
And (L)lurks by every corner.
13 So she seizes him and kisses him
[i]And with a (M)brazen face she says to him:
14 [j]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 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, let us drink our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with caresses.
19 “For [k]my husband is not at home,
He has gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a (T)bag of money [l]with him,
At the full moon he will come home.”
21 With her many persuasions she entices him;
With her [m](U)flattering lips she seduces him.
22 Suddenly he follows her
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as [n]one in fetters to the discipline of a fool,
23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
As a (V)bird hastens 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 [o]victims she has cast down,
And (Y)numerous are all her slain.
27 Her (Z)house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.

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Footnotes

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

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.

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Footnotes

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

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.

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Footnotes

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

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.

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Footnotes

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

26 (A)Give me your heart, my son,
And let your eyes [a](B)delight in my ways.
27 For a harlot is a (C)deep pit
And an [b](D)adulterous woman is a narrow well.
28 Surely she (E)lurks as a robber,
And increases the [c]faithless among men.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:26 Another reading is observe
  2. Proverbs 23:27 Lit strange
  3. Proverbs 23:28 Lit treacherous

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.

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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 fool when he is satisfied with food,
23 Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.

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(A)Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which (B)destroys kings.

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(A)Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which (B)destroys kings.

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