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Proverbs 6:23-35
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Proverbs 6:23-35
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
23 For the command is a lamp, and the teaching a light,
and a way to life are the reproofs that discipline,
24 Keeping you from another’s wife,
from the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.(A)
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty,
do not let her captivate you with her glance!(B)
26 For the price of a harlot
may be scarcely a loaf of bread,
But a married woman
is a trap for your precious life.
27 [a]Can a man take embers into his bosom,
and his garments not be burned?
28 Or can a man walk on live coals,
and his feet not be scorched?
29 So with him who sleeps with another’s wife—
none who touches her shall go unpunished.(C)
30 Thieves are not despised
if out of hunger they steal to satisfy their appetite.
31 Yet if caught they must pay back sevenfold,
yield up all the wealth of their house.
32 But those who commit adultery have no sense;
those who do it destroy themselves.
33 [b]They will be beaten and disgraced,
and their shame will not be wiped away;
34 For passion enrages the husband,
he will have no pity on the day of vengeance;
35 He will not consider any restitution,
nor be satisfied by your many bribes.
Footnotes
- 6:27–29 There is a play on three words of similar sound, ’îsh, “man,” ’ishshâ, “woman,” and ’ēsh, “fire, embers.” The question, “Can a man (’îsh) take embers (’ēsh) into his bosom / and his garments not be burned?”, has a double meaning. “Into his bosom” has an erotic meaning as in the phrase “wife of one’s bosom” (Dt 13:6; 28:54; Sir 9:1). Hence one will destroy one’s garments, which symbolize one’s public position, by taking fire/another’s wife into one’s bosom.
- 6:33–35 The nature of the husband’s vengeance is disputed, some believing it is simply a physical beating whereas others hold it is public and involves the death penalty because Lv 20:20 and Dt 22:22 demand the death penalty.
Proverbs 6:23-35
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Proverbs 6:23-35
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24 to preserve you from the wife of another,[a]
from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
26 for a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread,[b]
but the wife of another stalks a man’s very life.
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.
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.
32 But he who commits adultery has no sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
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 shows no restraint when he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation,
and refuses a bribe no matter how great.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:24 Gk: MT the evil woman
- Proverbs 6:26 Cn Compare Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb for because of a harlot to a piece of bread
Proverbs 6:23-35
Common English Bible
Proverbs 6:23-35
Common English Bible
23 The commandment is a lamp and instruction a light;
corrective teaching is the path of life.
24 They guard you from the evil woman,
from the flattering tongue of the foreign woman.
25 Don’t desire her beauty in secret;
don’t let her take you in with her eyelashes,
26 for a prostitute costs a loaf of bread,[a]
but a married woman hunts for a man’s very life.
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
and his clothes not get burned?
28 If a man walks on hot coals,
don’t his feet get burned?
29 So is the man who approaches his neighbor’s wife;
anyone who touches her will be punished.
30 People don’t despise a thief if he steals
to fill his starving stomach.
31 But if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold;
he must give all the riches of his house.
32 He who commits adultery is senseless.
Doing so, he destroys himself.
33 He is wounded and disgraced.
His shame will never be wiped away.
34 Jealousy makes a man rage;
he’ll show no mercy on his day of revenge.
35 He won’t accept compensation;
he’ll refuse even a large bribe.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:26 Heb uncertain
Proverbs 6:23-35
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 6:23-35
New American Standard Bible
23 For (A)the commandment is a lamp and the [a]teaching is light;
And rebukes for discipline are the way of life
24 To (B)keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.
25 (C)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her capture you with her (D)eyelids.
26 For (E)the price of a prostitute reduces one to a loaf of bread,
And [b]an adulteress (F)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 (G)goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her (H)will not [c]go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
To (I)satisfy [d]himself when he is hungry;
31 But when he is found, he must (J)repay seven times as much;
He must give up all the property of his house.
32 One who commits adultery with a woman is (K)lacking [e]sense;
He who would (L)destroy [f]himself commits it.
33 He will find wounds and disgrace,
And his shame will not be removed.
34 For (M)jealousy [g]enrages a man,
And he will not have compassion on the (N)day of vengeance.
35 He will not [h]accept any settlement,
Nor will he be [i]satisfied though you make it a large gift.
Footnotes
- 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 6:23-35
New International Version
Proverbs 6:23-35
New International Version
23 For this command is a lamp,
this teaching is a light,(A)
and correction and instruction
are the way to life,(B)
24 keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,
from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.(C)
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes.
26 For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,
but another man’s wife preys on your very life.(D)
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals
without his feet being scorched?
29 So is he who sleeps(E) with another man’s wife;(F)
no one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,(G)
though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
32 But a man who commits adultery(H) has no sense;(I)
whoever does so destroys himself.
33 Blows and disgrace are his lot,
and his shame will never(J) be wiped away.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
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Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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