New International Version

Darby Bible Translation

Warning Against Adultery

My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
turn your ear to my words of insight,

1

Avoid Immorality

My son, attend unto my wisdom, incline thine ear to my understanding;

2

that you may maintain discretion
and your lips may preserve knowledge.

2

that thou mayest keep reflection, and that thy lips may preserve knowledge.

3

For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;

3

For the lips of the strange woman drop honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;

4

but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.

4

but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

5

Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.

5

Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on Sheol.

6

She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.

6

Lest she should ponder the path of life, her ways wander, she knoweth not [whither].

7

Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.

7

And now, children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

8

Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,

8

Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

9

lest you lose your honor to others
and your dignitya to one who is cruel,

9

lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;

10

lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich the house of another.

10

lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and the fruits of thy toil [come] into the house of a stranger;

11

At the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are spent.

11

and thou mourn in thine end, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed;

12

You will say, “How I hated discipline!
How my heart spurned correction!

12

and thou say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof!

13

I would not obey my teachers
or turn my ear to my instructors.

13

and I have not hearkened unto the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to those that instructed me;

14

And I was soon in serious trouble
in the assembly of God’s people.”

14

I was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

15

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

15

Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

16

Should your springs overflow in the streets,
your streams of water in the public squares?

16

Thy fountains shall be poured forth, as water-brooks in the broadways.

17

Let them be yours alone,
never to be shared with strangers.

17

Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

18

May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

18

Let thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth.

19

A loving doe, a graceful deer —
may her breasts satisfy you always,
may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

19

As a lovely hind and a graceful roe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times: be thou ravished continually with her love.

20

Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

20

And why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

21

For your ways are in full view of the Lord,
and he examines all your paths.

21

For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah, and he pondereth all his paths.

22

The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;
the cords of their sins hold them fast.

22

His own iniquities shall take the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.

23

For lack of discipline they will die,
led astray by their own great folly.

23

He shall die for want of discipline; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

Parallel

New International Version

Darby Bible Translation

Proverbs 5

Proverbs 5