English Standard Version

New American Standard Bible

Warning Against Adultery

My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding,

1

Pitfalls of Immorality

My son, give attention to my wisdom,
Incline your ear to my understanding;

2

that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge.

2

That you may observe discretion
And your lips may reserve knowledge.

3

For the lips of a forbiddena woman drip honey,
and her speechb is smoother than oil,

3

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey
And smoother than oil is her speech;

4

but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.

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 toc Sheol;

5

Her feet go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.

6

she does not ponder the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.

6

She does not ponder the path of life;
Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.

7

And now, O sons, listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.

7

Now then, my 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,

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,

9

Or you will give your vigor to others
And your years to the cruel one;

10

lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,

10

And strangers will be filled with your strength
And your hard-earned goods will go to the house of an alien;

11

and at the end of your life you groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,

11

And you groan at your final end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;

12

and you say, “How I hated discipline,
and my heart despised reproof!

12

And you say, “How I have hated instruction!
And my heart spurned reproof!

13

I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.

13

“I have not listened to the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to my instructors!

14

I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”

14

“I was almost in utter ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

15

Drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.

15

Drink water from your own cistern
And fresh water from your own well.

16

Should your springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water in the streets?

16

Should your springs be dispersed abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?

17

Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for strangers with you.

17

Let them be yours alone
And not for strangers with you.

18

Let your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife of your youth,

18

Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice in the wife of your youth.

19

a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicatedd always in her love.

19

As a loving hind and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be exhilarated always with her love.

20

Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman
and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?e

20

For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress
And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

21

For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord,
and he pondersf all his paths.

21

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD,
And He watches all his paths.

22

The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,
and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.

22

His own iniquities will capture the wicked,
And he will be held with the cords of his sin.

23

He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is led astray.

23

He will die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.

Parallel

English Standard Version

New American Standard Bible

Proverbs 5

Proverbs 5