Proverbs 2:16-20
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
16 You will be saved from the loose woman,[a]
from the adulteress[b] with her smooth words,(A)
17 who forsakes the partner of her youth
and forgets her sacred covenant,
18 for her way[c] leads down to death
and her paths to the shades;(B)
19 those who go to her never come back,
nor do they regain the paths of life.
20 Therefore walk in the way of the good,
and keep to the paths of the just.
Proverbs 2:16-20
Revised Standard Version
16 You will be saved from the loose[a] woman,
from the adventuress[b] with her smooth words,
17 who forsakes the companion of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the shades;
19 none who go to her come back
nor do they regain the paths of life.
20 So you will walk in the way of good men
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:16 Heb strange
- Proverbs 2:16 Heb foreign woman
Proverbs 5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Warning against Impurity and Infidelity
5 My child, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding,(A)
2 so that you may hold on to prudence,
and your lips may guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of a loose woman[a] drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil,(B)
4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.(C)
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.(D)
8 Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,(E)
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!(F)
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?(G)
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,(H)
19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
May her breasts satisfy you at all times;
may you be intoxicated always by her love.(I)
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, by another woman
and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?[c](J)
21 For human ways are under the eyes of the Lord,
and he examines all their paths.(K)
22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare them,
and they are caught in the coils of their sin.(L)
23 They die for lack of discipline,
and because of their great folly they are lost.(M)
Proverbs 5
Revised Standard Version
Warning against Impurity and Infidelity
5 My son, be attentive to my wisdom,
incline your ear to my understanding;
2 that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of a loose woman drip honey,
and her speech[a] 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[b] Sheol;
6 she does not take heed to[c] the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
7 And 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,[d]
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, “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 I was at the point of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”
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 strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
19 a lovely hind, a graceful doe.
Let her affection fill you at all times with delight,
be infatuated always with her love.
20 Why should you be infatuated, my son, with a loose woman
and embrace the bosom of an adventuress?
21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord,
and he watches[e] all his paths.
22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,
and he is caught in the toils of his sin.
23 He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is lost.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 5:3 Heb palate
- Proverbs 5:5 Heb lay hold of
- Proverbs 5:6 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Proverbs 5:10 Or wealth
- Proverbs 5:21 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
Proverbs 6:24-35
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
24 to preserve you from the wife of another,[a]
from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.[b](A)
25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes,(B)
26 for a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread,[c]
but the wife of another stalks a man’s precious life.(C)
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.(D)
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.(E)
32 But he who commits adultery has no sense;
he who does it destroys himself.(F)
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.(G)
35 He will accept no compensation
and will refuse a bribe no matter how great.
Proverbs 6:24-35
Revised Standard Version
24 to preserve you from the evil woman,
from the smooth tongue of the adventuress.
25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
26 for a harlot may be hired for a loaf of bread,[a]
but an adulteress[b] stalks a man’s very life.
27 Can a man carry fire in his bosom
and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one walk upon hot coals
and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
none who touches her will go unpunished.
30 Do not men despise[c] a thief if he steals
to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry?
31 And if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold;
he will give all the goods of his house.
32 He who commits adultery has no sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
33 Wounds and dishonor will he get,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy makes a man furious,
and he will not spare when he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation,
nor be appeased though you multiply gifts.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:26 Cn Compare Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb for because of a harlot to a piece of bread
- Proverbs 6:26 Heb a man’s wife
- Proverbs 6:30 Or Men do not despise
Proverbs 7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The False Attractions of Adultery
7 My child, keep my words
and store up my commandments with you;(A)
2 keep my commandments and live;
keep my teachings as the apple[a] of your eye;(B)
3 bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.(C)
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,
5 that they may keep you from the loose woman,[b]
from the adulteress[c] with her smooth words.(D)
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,(E)
8 passing along the street near her corner,
taking the road to her house(F)
9 in the twilight, in the evening,
at the time of night and darkness.(G)
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;(H)
12 now in the street, now in the squares,
and at every corner she lies in wait.(I)
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;(J)
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;(K)
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.(L)
22 Right away he follows her
and goes like an ox to the slaughter
or bounds like a stag toward the trap[d]
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.(M)
24 And now, my children, listen to me,
and be attentive to the words of my mouth.(N)
25 Do not let your hearts turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her paths.(O)
26 For many are those she has laid low,
and numerous are her victims.(P)
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.(Q)
Proverbs 7
Revised Standard Version
The False Attractions of Adultery
7 My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
2 keep my commandments and live,
keep my teachings as the apple of your eye;
3 bind them on your fingers,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend;
5 to preserve you from the loose woman,
from the adventuress with her smooth words.
6 For at the window of my house
I have looked out through my lattice,
7 and I have seen among the simple,
I have perceived among the youths,
a young man without sense,
8 passing along the street near her corner,
taking the road to her house
9 in the twilight, in the evening,
at the time of night and darkness.
10 And lo, a woman meets him,
dressed as a harlot, wily of heart.[a]
11 She is loud and wayward,
her feet do not stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the market,
and at every corner she lies in wait.
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;
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;
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,
aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love till 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;
at full moon he will come home.”
21 With much seductive speech she persuades him;
with 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[b]
23 till an arrow pierces its entrails;
as a bird rushes into a snare;
he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24 And 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;
yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:10 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Proverbs 7:22 Cn Compare Gk: Heb uncertain
Proverbs 9:13-18
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Folly’s Invitation and Promise
13 The foolish woman is loud;
she is ignorant and knows nothing.(A)
14 She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat at the high places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
16 “You who are simple, turn in here!”
And to those without sense she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”(B)
18 But they do not know that the dead[a] are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.(C)
Footnotes
- 9.18 Heb shades
Proverbs 9:13-18
Revised Standard Version
Folly’s Invitation and Promise
13 A foolish woman is noisy;
she is wanton[a] and knows no shame.[b]
14 She sits at the door of her house,
she takes a seat on the high places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who is without sense she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead[c] are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 9:13 Cn Compare Syr Vg: The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Proverbs 9:13 Gk Syr: The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Proverbs 9:18 Heb shades
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
Revised Standard Version
14 The mouth of a loose woman is a deep pit;
he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
Proverbs 23:26-28
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 23:26-28
Revised Standard Version
26 My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe[a] my ways.
27 For a harlot is a deep pit;
an adventuress is a narrow well.
28 She lies in wait like a robber
and increases the faithless among men.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 23:26 Another reading is delight in
Proverbs 29:3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
3 A child who loves wisdom makes a parent glad,
but a companion of prostitutes destroys wealth.(A)
Proverbs 29:3
Revised Standard Version
3 He who loves wisdom makes his father glad,
but one who keeps company with harlots squanders his substance.
Proverbs 30:20
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)
Proverbs 30:20
Revised Standard Version
20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats, and wipes her mouth,
and says, “I have done no wrong.”
Proverbs 31:2-3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
2 No, my son! No, son of my womb!
No, son of my vows!(A)
3 Do not give your strength to women,
your ways to those who destroy kings.(B)
Proverbs 31:2-3
Revised Standard Version
2 What, my son? What, son of my womb?
What, son of my vows?
3 Give not your strength to women,
your ways to those who destroy kings.
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.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 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.