Proverbs 5
1 My son, attend unto my wisdom, incline thine ear to my understanding;
My son, attend to my wisdom. And bow thine ear to my understanding;
2 that thou mayest keep reflection, and that thy lips may preserve knowledge.
That thou mayest keep discretion, And that thy lips may preserve knowledge!
3 For the lips of the strange woman drop honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;
Truly, the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil;
4 but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
But her end is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death; Her steps lay hold of the under-world. (Sheol h7585)
6 Lest she should ponder the path of life, her ways wander, she knoweth not [whither].
That she may not ponder the way of life, Her paths waver when she heedeth it not.
7 And now, children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
Hear me now, therefore, O children! And turn not away from the words of my mouth!
8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:
Remove thy way far from her. And come not nigh the door of her house:
9 lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;
Lest thou give thy bloom to others, And thy years to a cruel one;
10 lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and the fruits of thy toil [come] into the house of a stranger;
Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, And thine earnings be in the house of an alien;
11 and thou mourn in thine end, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed;
And lest thou mourn in thy latter end. When thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
12 and thou say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof!
And say, “How have I hated instruction! And how hath my heart despised reproof!
13 and I have not hearkened unto the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to those that instructed me;
I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to my instructors;
14 I was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
I have well-nigh fallen into utter misery; In the midst of the congregation and the assembly.”
15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Drink water out of thine own cistern. And running water out of thine own well:
16 Thy fountains shall be poured forth, as water-brooks in the broadways.
So shall thy fountains overflow in the streets, In the wide streets, as streams of water;
17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
They shall belong to thee alone, And not to strangers with thee;
18 Let thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth.
And thy fountain shall be blessed, Yea, thou shalt have joy in the wife of thy youth.
19 As a lovely hind and a graceful roe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times: be thou ravished continually with her love.
A lovely hind, a graceful doe, Her breasts shall satisfy thee at all times, And thou shalt be always ravished with her love.
20 And why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
Why, then, my son, wilt thou be ravished with a wanton, And embrace the bosom of a stranger?
21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah, and he pondereth all his paths.
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And he weigheth well all his paths.
22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.
His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked; Yea, he shall be held fast by the cords of his own sins.
23 He shall die for want of discipline; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
He shall die for want of instruction; Yea, through the greatness of his folly he shall stagger.
