Proverbs 5:3-23
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
3 For the lips of a loose woman[a] drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil,(A)
4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.(B)
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.(C)
8 Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,(D)
9 lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless,
10 and strangers take their fill of your wealth,
and your labors go to the house of an alien,
11 and at the end of your life you groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, “Oh, how I hated discipline,
and my heart despised reproof!(E)
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?(F)
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,(G)
19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
May her breasts satisfy you at all times;
may you be intoxicated always by her love.(H)
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, by another woman
and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?[c](I)
21 For human ways are under the eyes of the Lord,
and he examines all their paths.(J)
22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare them,
and they are caught in the coils of their sin.(K)
23 They die for lack of discipline,
and because of their great folly they are lost.(L)
Proverbs 5:3-23
English Standard Version
3 For the lips of (A)a forbidden[a] woman drip honey,
and her speech[b] is (B)smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is (C)bitter as (D)wormwood,
(E)sharp as (F)a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet (G)go down to death;
her steps follow the path to[c] Sheol;
6 she (H)does not ponder the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
7 And (I)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 (J)labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and at the end of your life you (K)groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, (L)“How I hated discipline,
and my heart (M)despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 (N)I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”
15 Drink (O)water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.
16 Should your (P)springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water (Q)in the streets?
17 (R)Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for strangers with you.
18 Let your (S)fountain be blessed,
and (T)rejoice in (U)the wife of your youth,
19 a lovely (V)deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts (W)fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated[d] always in her love.
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with (X)a forbidden woman
and embrace the bosom of (Y)an adulteress?[e]
21 For (Z)a man's ways are (AA)before the eyes of the Lord,
and he (AB)ponders[f] all his paths.
22 The (AC)iniquities of the wicked (AD)ensnare him,
and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
23 (AE)He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is (AF)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
Proverbs 6:20-35
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
20 My child, keep your father’s commandment,
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(A)
21 Bind them upon your heart always;
tie them around your neck.(B)
22 When you walk, they[a] will lead you;
when you lie down, they[b] will watch over you;
and when you awake, they[c] will talk with you.(C)
23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,(D)
24 to preserve you from the wife of another,[d]
from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.[e](E)
25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes,(F)
26 for a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread,[f]
but the wife of another stalks a man’s precious life.(G)
27 Can fire be carried in the bosom
without burning one’s clothes?
28 Or can one walk on hot coals
without scorching the feet?
29 So is he who sleeps with his neighbor’s wife;
no one who touches her will go unpunished.(H)
30 Thieves are not despised who steal only
to satisfy their appetite when they are hungry.
31 Yet if they are caught, they will pay sevenfold;
they will forfeit all the goods of their house.(I)
32 But he who commits adultery has no sense;
he who does it destroys himself.(J)
33 He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,
and he will show no restraint when he takes revenge.(K)
35 He will accept no compensation
and will refuse a bribe no matter how great.
Proverbs 6:20-35
English Standard Version
Warnings Against Adultery
20 (A)My son, keep your father's commandment,
(B)and forsake not your mother's teaching.
21 (C)Bind them on your heart always;
(D)tie them around your neck.
22 (E)When you walk, they[a] will lead you;
(F)when you lie down, they will (G)watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is (H)a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the (I)reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24 to preserve you from the evil woman,[b]
from the smooth tongue of (J)the adulteress.[c]
25 (K)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her (L)eyelashes;
26 for (M)the price of a prostitute is only (N)a loaf of bread,[d]
but a married woman[e] (O)hunts down a precious life.
27 Can a man carry (P)fire next to his (Q)chest
and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one (R)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 (S)will go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to (T)satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
31 but (U)if he is caught, he will pay (V)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 (W)jealousy makes a man furious,
and he will not spare when (X)he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation;
he will refuse though you multiply gifts.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:22 Hebrew it; three times in this verse
- Proverbs 6:24 Revocalization (compare Septuagint) yields from the wife of a neighbor
- Proverbs 6:24 Hebrew the foreign woman
- Proverbs 6:26 Or (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate) for a prostitute leaves a man with nothing but a loaf of bread
- Proverbs 6:26 Hebrew a man's wife
Proverbs 7:4-27
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,
5 that they may keep you from the loose woman,[a]
from the adulteress[b] with her smooth words.(A)
6 For at the window of my house
I looked out through my lattice,
7 and I saw among the simple ones,
I observed among the youths,
a young man without sense,(B)
8 passing along the street near her corner,
taking the road to her house(C)
9 in the twilight, in the evening,
at the time of night and darkness.(D)
10 Then a woman comes toward him
decked out like a prostitute, with hidden intent.
11 She is loud and wayward;
her feet do not stay at home;(E)
12 now in the street, now in the squares,
and at every corner she lies in wait.(F)
13 She seizes him and kisses him,
and with impudent face she says to him:
14 “I had to offer sacrifices,
and today I have paid my vows;(G)
15 so now I have come out to meet you,
to seek you eagerly, and I have found you!
16 I have decked my couch with coverings,
colored spreads of Egyptian linen;(H)
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,
aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For my husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey.
20 He took a bag of money with him;
he will not come home until full moon.”
21 With much seductive speech she persuades him;
with her smooth talk she compels him.(I)
22 Right away he follows her
and goes like an ox to the slaughter
or bounds like a stag toward the trap[c]
23 until an arrow pierces its entrails.
He is like a bird rushing into a snare,
not knowing that it will cost him his life.(J)
24 And now, my children, listen to me,
and be attentive to the words of my mouth.(K)
25 Do not let your hearts turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her paths.(L)
26 For many are those she has laid low,
and numerous are her victims.(M)
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.(N)
Proverbs 7:4-27
English Standard Version
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,
5 to keep you from (A)the forbidden[a] woman,
from (B)the adulteress[b] with her smooth words.
6 For at (C)the window of my house
I have looked out through my lattice,
7 and I have seen among (D)the simple,
I have perceived among the youths,
a young man (E)lacking sense,
8 passing along the street (F)near her corner,
taking the road to her house
9 in (G)the twilight, in the evening,
at (H)the time of night and darkness.
10 And behold, the woman meets him,
(I)dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.[c]
11 She is (J)loud and (K)wayward;
(L)her feet do not stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the market,
and (M)at every corner she (N)lies in wait.
13 She seizes him and kisses him,
and with (O)bold face she says to him,
14 “I had to (P)offer sacrifices,[d]
and today I have (Q)paid my vows;
15 so now I have come out to meet you,
to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with (R)coverings,
colored linens from (S)Egyptian linen;
17 I have perfumed my bed with (T)myrrh,
aloes, and (U)cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For (V)my husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey;
20 he took a bag of money with him;
at full moon he will come home.”
21 With much seductive speech she persuades him;
with (W)her smooth talk she compels him.
22 All at once he follows her,
as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast[e]
23 till an arrow pierces its liver;
as (X)a bird rushes into a snare;
he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24 And (Y)now, O sons, listen to me,
and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her paths,
26 for many a victim has she laid low,
and all her slain are (Z)a mighty throng.
27 Her house is (AA)the way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:5 Hebrew strange
- Proverbs 7:5 Hebrew the foreign woman
- Proverbs 7:10 Hebrew guarded in heart
- Proverbs 7:14 Hebrew peace offerings
- Proverbs 7:22 Probable reading (compare Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac); Hebrew as a chain to discipline a fool
Proverbs 22:14
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
14 The mouth of a loose woman[a] is a deep pit;
he with whom the Lord is angry falls into it.
Footnotes
- 22.14 Heb strange woman
Proverbs 22:14
English Standard Version
14 The mouth of (A)forbidden[a] women is (B)a deep pit;
(C)he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:14 Hebrew strange
Proverbs 23:26-28
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 23:26-28
English Standard Version
26 My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe[a] my ways.
27 For a prostitute is (A)a deep pit;
(B)an adulteress[b] is a narrow (C)well.
28 (D)She lies in wait like a robber
and increases the traitors among mankind.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 23:26 Or delight in
- Proverbs 23:27 Hebrew a foreign woman
Proverbs 30:20-23
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done no wrong.”(A)
21 Under three things the earth trembles;
under four it cannot bear up:
22 a slave when he becomes king
and a fool when glutted with food,(B)
23 a contemptible woman when she gets a husband
and a maid when she supplants her mistress.
Proverbs 30:20-23
English Standard Version
20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done no wrong.”
21 Under (A)three things (B)the earth trembles;
under (C)four it cannot bear up:
22 (D)a slave when he becomes king,
and a fool when he is (E)filled with food;
23 (F)an unloved woman when she (G)gets a husband,
and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.
Proverbs 31:3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
3 Do not give your strength to women,
your ways to those who destroy kings.(A)
Proverbs 31:3
English Standard Version
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.