Proverbs 5:3-23
Lexham English Bible
3 For the lips of the strange woman will drip honey,
and smoother than oil is her mouth.[a]
4 But her end is bitter as the wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps take hold of Sheol.[b]
6 She does not observe[c] the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
Do Not Commit Adultery Against Wisdom
7 Now, O children, listen to me;
do not depart from the sayings of my mouth.
8 Keep your paths far from her,
and do not go near to the door of her house,
9 lest you give your honor to the others,
and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and you groan at your end,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and say “How I hated discipline,
and I despised reproof!”
13 and “I did not listen to the voice of my teachers,
and I did not incline my ear to my instructors!
14 I was almost at utter[d] ruin[e]
in the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern
and flowing waters from inside your own well.
16 Shall your springs be scattered outward?
In the streets, shall there be streams of water?
17 May they be yours alone,
and not for strangers who are with you.
18 May your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife[f] of your youth.
19 She is a deer of love and a doe of grace;
may her breasts satisfy you always;[g]
by her love may you be intoxicated continually.
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my child, by a strange woman,
and embrace the bosom of a foreigner?
21 For before the eyes of Yahweh are human ways,[h]
and all his paths he examines.
22 His iniquities shall ensnare him, the evildoer,
and in the vanity of his sin he shall be caught.
23 He shall die for lack of[i] discipline,
and in the greatness of his folly he shall be lost.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 5:3 Or “palate”
- Proverbs 5:5 A term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the Underworld
- Proverbs 5:6 Or “examine, weigh”
- Proverbs 5:14 Or “all, every, whole”
- Proverbs 5:14 Or “evil”
- Proverbs 5:18 Or “woman”
- Proverbs 5:19 Literally “at all time”
- Proverbs 5:21 Literally “the ways of man/humankind”
- Proverbs 5:23 Literally “with there is no”
Proverbs 5:3-23
Christian Standard Bible
3 Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey
and her words are[a] smoother than oil,
4 in the end she’s as bitter as wormwood(A)
and as sharp as a double-edged sword.(B)
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps head straight for Sheol.(C)
6 She doesn’t consider the path of life;
she doesn’t know that her ways are unstable.
7 So now, sons, listen to me,
and don’t turn away from the words from my mouth.(D)
8 Keep your way far from her.
Don’t go near the door of her house.(E)
9 Otherwise, you will give up your vitality to others
and your years to someone cruel;
10 strangers will drain your resources,
and your hard-earned pay will end up in a foreigner’s house.
11 At the end of your life, you will lament
when your physical body has been consumed,
12 and you will say, “How I hated discipline,
and how my heart despised correction.(F)
13 I didn’t obey my teachers
or listen closely[b] to my instructors.
14 I am on the verge of complete ruin
before the entire community.”
Enjoy Marriage
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
water flowing from your own well.(G)
16 Should your springs flow in the streets,
streams in the public squares?(H)
17 They should be for you alone
and not for you to share with strangers.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
and take pleasure in the wife of your youth.(I)
19 A loving deer, a graceful doe[c]—
let her breasts always satisfy you;(J)
be lost in her love forever.
20 Why, my son, would you lose yourself
with a forbidden woman
or embrace a wayward woman?(K)
21 For a man’s ways are before the Lord’s eyes,(L)
and he considers all his paths.(M)
22 A wicked man’s iniquities will trap him;(N)
he will become tangled in the ropes of his own sin.(O)
23 He will die because there is no discipline,(P)
and be lost because of his great stupidity.
Proverbs 6:20-35
Lexham English Bible
Commandment and Instruction as Guardians
20 My child, keep the commandment of your father,
and do not disregard the instruction of your mother.
21 Bind them on your heart continually;
tie them upon your neck.
22 When you walk,[a] she[b] will lead you,
When you lie down,[c] she will watch over you,
and when you awake, she will converse with you.
23 For like a lamp is a commandment, and instruction is light,
and the way of life[d] is the reproof of discipline,
24 in order to preserve you from an evil woman,[e]
from the smoothness of the tongue of an adulteress.[f]
25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart;
may she not capture you with her eyelashes.
26 For the price of a woman, a prostitute,[g] is the price of a loaf of bread,
but the woman belonging to a man[h] hunts precious life.
Warning Against Relations with a Married Woman
27 Can a man carry fire in his lap,
and his clothes not burn?
28 If a man walks upon the hot coals,
will his feet not be burned?
29 Thus, he who goes to the wife of his neighbor,
any who touches her shall not go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief when he steals
to fill himself[i] when he is hungry.
31 But if he is found, he will pay sevenfold,
every possession of his house he shall give.
32 He who commits adultery with a woman lacks sense,[j]
he destroys himself[k] who does it.
33 A wound and dishonor he will find,
and his disgrace will not be wiped out.
34 For jealousy is the fury of a husband,
and he will not show restraint on the day of revenge.
35 He will not accept any compensation,[l]
and he will not be willing, though the bribe is large.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:22 Literally “In your walking”
- Proverbs 6:22 That is, “commandment” and “instruction”
- Proverbs 6:22 Literally “In your lying down”
- Proverbs 6:23 Hebrew “lives”
- Proverbs 6:24 Or “wife”
- Proverbs 6:24 Literally “a foreign woman”
- Proverbs 6:26 Or “whore”
- Proverbs 6:26 Literally “the woman of a man”
- Proverbs 6:30 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 6:32 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 6:32 Or “his soul,” or “his life”
- Proverbs 6:35 Literally “the face of any compensation”
Proverbs 6:20-35
Christian Standard Bible
Warning against Adultery
20 My son, keep your father’s command,
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching.(A)
21 Always bind them to your heart;
tie them around your neck.(B)
22 When you walk here and there, they will guide you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
when you wake up, they will talk to you.
23 For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light,(C)
and corrective discipline is the way to life.(D)
24 They will protect you from an evil woman,[a]
from the flattering tongue of a wayward woman.(E)
25 Don’t lust in your heart for her beauty(F)
or let her captivate you with her eyelashes.(G)
26 For a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread,[b]
but the wife of another man[c] goes after a precious life.(H)
27 Can a man embrace fire
and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can a man walk on burning coals
without scorching his feet?
29 So it is with the one who sleeps with
another man’s wife;
no one who touches her will go unpunished.(I)
30 People don’t despise the thief if he steals
to satisfy himself when he is hungry.(J)
31 Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much;(K)
he must give up all the wealth in his house.
32 The one who commits adultery[d] lacks sense;
whoever does so destroys himself.(L)
33 He will get a beating[e] and dishonor,
and his disgrace will never be removed.
34 For jealousy enrages a husband,(M)
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will not be appeased by anything
or be persuaded by lavish bribes.
Proverbs 7:4-27
Lexham English Bible
4 Say to wisdom,[a] “you are my sister,”
and you shall call insight,[b] “intimate friend.”[c]
5 In order to guard yourself from an adulteress,[d]
from the foreigner who makes her words smooth.[e]
6 For at the window of my house,
through my lattice, I looked down.
7 And I saw among the simple,
I observed among the youth,
a young man lacking sense,[f]
8 passing on the street at[g] her corner,
and he takes the road to her house,
9 at twilight, at the day’s evening,
in the midst of night and the darkness.
10 Then behold! A woman comes to meet him
with the garment of a prostitute[h] and a secret heart.[i]
11 She is loud and stubborn;
her feet do not stay at her house.
12 Now in the street, now in the square,
at[j] every corner she lies in wait.
13 She took hold of [k] him and kissed him.
Her face was impudent, and she said to him,
14 “Sacrifices of peace offerings are upon me;
today[l] I completed my vows.
15 So[m] I have come out to meet you,
to seek your face, and I have found you.
16 With coverings I have adorned my couch,
spreads of the linen of Egypt;
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,
aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love making,
until the morning let us delight in love.
19 For there is no man[n] in his home;
he has gone on a long journey.[o]
20 The bag of money he took in his hand,
for on the day of the full moon he will come home.”
21 She persuades him with the greatness of her teachings;
with her smooth lips she compels him.
22 He goes after her suddenly;
like an ox to the slaughter he goes,
and like a stag to the instruction of a fool,
23 until an arrow pierces his entrails,[p]
like a bird rushing into a snare,
but he does not know that it will cost him his life.[q]
Reiteration of the Warning Against a Strange Woman
24 And now, my children, listen to me,
and be attentive to the sayings of my mouth.
25 May your heart not turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her path.
26 For many slain she has laid low,
and countless[r] are all of her killings.
27 The ways of Sheol[s] are her house,
descending to chambers of death.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:4 Hebrew “the wisdom”
- Proverbs 7:4 Hebrew “the insight”
- Proverbs 7:4 Literally “one who is known.” To “know” is often a euphemism for intercourse. Therefore “intimate friend” may also be read “lover.”
- Proverbs 7:5 Literally “a strange woman”
- Proverbs 7:5 Literally “causes to be smooth her words”
- Proverbs 7:7 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 7:8 Literally “at the place of”
- Proverbs 7:10 Or “whore”
- Proverbs 7:10 Literally “secret of heart”
- Proverbs 7:12 Literally “at the place of”
- Proverbs 7:13 Or “strengthened”
- Proverbs 7:14 Literally “the day”
- Proverbs 7:15 Hebrew “thus”
- Proverbs 7:19 Or “husband”
- Proverbs 7:19 Literally “a journey from far”
- Proverbs 7:23 Literally “heaviness,” often referring to the liver
- Proverbs 7:23 Literally “it is against his life”
- Proverbs 7:26 Or “strong men”
- Proverbs 7:27 A term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the Underworld
Proverbs 7:4-27
Christian Standard Bible
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”(A)
and call understanding your relative.
5 She will keep you from a forbidden woman,
a wayward woman with her flattering talk.(B)
A Story of Seduction
6 At the window of my house
I looked through my lattice.(C)
7 I saw among the inexperienced,[a]
I noticed among the youths,
a young man lacking sense.
8 Crossing the street near her corner,
he strolled down the road to her house
9 at twilight, in the evening,
in the dark of the night.(D)
10 A woman came to meet him
dressed like a prostitute,(E)
having a hidden agenda.[b]
11 She is loud and defiant;(F)
her feet do not stay at home.(G)
12 Now in the street, now in the squares,(H)
she lurks at every corner.(I)
13 She grabs him and kisses him;
she brazenly says[c] to him,
14 “I’ve made fellowship offerings;
today I’ve fulfilled my vows.(J)
15 So I came out to meet you,
to search for you, and I’ve found you.
16 I’ve spread coverings on my bed(K)—
richly colored linen from Egypt.(L)
17 I’ve perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.(M)
18 Come, let’s drink deeply of lovemaking until morning.(N)
Let’s feast on each other’s love!
19 My husband isn’t home;
he went on a long journey.
20 He took a bag of silver with him
and will come home at the time of the full moon.”
21 She seduces him with her persistent pleading;
she lures with her flattering talk.
22 He follows her impulsively
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer bounding toward a trap[d]
23 until an arrow pierces its[e] liver,(O)
like a bird darting into a snare(P)—
he doesn’t know it will cost him his life.
24 Now, sons, listen to me,
and pay attention to the words from my mouth.
25 Don’t let your heart turn aside to her ways;
don’t stray onto her paths.(Q)
26 For she has brought many down to death;
her victims are countless.[f]
27 Her house is the road to Sheol,
descending to the chambers of death.(R)
Proverbs 22:14
Lexham English Bible
14 A deep pit is the mouth of an adulteress,[a]
he with whom Yahweh is angry will fall there.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:14 Literally “a strange woman”
Proverbs 22:14
Christian Standard Bible
14 The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit;
a man cursed by the Lord will fall into it.(A)
Proverbs 23:26-28
Lexham English Bible
26 My child, may you give your heart[a] to me,
and may your eyes delight in my ways.
27 For a deep pit is a prostitute,[b]
and a narrow well is an adulteress.[c]
28 She is also like a robber lying in wait,
and the faithless among mankind she increases.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 23:26 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 23:27 Or “whore”
- Proverbs 23:27 Literally “a foreign woman”
Proverbs 23:26-28
Christian Standard Bible
26 My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit,(A)
and a wayward woman is a narrow well;
28 indeed, she sets an ambush like a robber(B)
and increases the number of unfaithful people.
Proverbs 30:20-23
Lexham English Bible
20 This is the way of a woman committing adultery:
she eats and wipes her mouth,
and says “I have not done wrong.”
21 Under three things the earth[a] trembles,
and under four, it is not able to bear up:
22 under a slave when he becomes king,
and a fool when he is satisfied with food;
23 under an unloved woman when she gets married,
and a maid when she succeeds her mistress.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:21 Or “land”
Proverbs 30:20-23
Christian Standard Bible
20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.”(A)
21 The earth trembles under three things;
it cannot bear up under four:
22 a servant when he becomes king,(B)
a fool when he is stuffed with food,
23 an unloved woman when she marries,(C)
and a servant girl when she ousts her queen.
Proverbs 31:3
Lexham English Bible
3 Do not give your strength to the women,
and your ways to destroy kings.
Proverbs 31:3
Christian Standard Bible
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