Proverbs 5
1 My son, attend unto my wisdom; incline thine ear to my understanding;
My son, attend unto my wisdom; to my understanding incline thou thy ear:
2 That thou mayest preserve discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
That thou mayest observe discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3 For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;
For as of fine honey drop the lips of an adulterous woman, and smoother than oil is her palate;
4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
But her end is bitter as wormwood, it is sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death, her steps take firm hold on the nether world: (Sheol h7585)
6 Lest she should walk the even path of life, her ways wander, but she knoweth it not.
So that she cannot balance the path of life; her tracks are unsteady, and she knoweth it not.
7 Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
And now, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house;
Remove far from her thy way, and come not nigh to the door of her house;
9 Lest thou give thy vigour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;
That thou mayest not give up unto others thy vigor, and thy years unto the cruel;
10 Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, and thy labours be in the house of an alien;
That strangers may not satisfy themselves with thy strength, and with thy exertions, in the house of an alien:
11 And thou moan, when thine end cometh, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
While thou moanest at thy end, when thy flesh and thy body are coming to their end,
12 And say: 'How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
And thou sayest, How have I hated correction, and how hath my heart rejected reproof;
13 Neither have I hearkened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
While I hearkened not to the voice of my instructors, and to my teachers I inclined not my ear;
14 I was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.'
But little more was wanting, and I had been in all [kinds of] unhappiness in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Drink water out of thy own cistern, and running waters out of thy own well.
16 Let thy springs be dispersed abroad, and courses of water in the streets.
So will thy springs overflow abroad; and in the open streets will be thy rivulets of water;
17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
They will be thy own only, and not those of strangers with thee.
18 Let thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth.
Thy fountain will be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth, —
19 A lovely hind and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; with her love be thou ravished always.
The lovely gazelle and the graceful chamois: let her bosom satisfy thee abundantly at all times; with her love be thou ravished continually.
20 Why then wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of an alien?
And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with an adulteress, and embrace the bosom of an alien woman?
21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He maketh even all his paths.
For before the eyes of the Lord are the ways of man, and all his tracks doth he weigh in the balance.
22 His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.
His own iniquities will truly catch the wicked, and with the cords of his sin will he be held firmly.
23 He shall die for lack of instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall reel.
He will indeed die for want of correction; and through the abundance of his folly will he sink into error.
