Proverbs 5
1 My son, attend to my wisdom, and bow your ear to my understanding:
My son, attend unto my wisdom, incline thine ear to my understanding;
2 That you may regard discretion, and that your lips may keep knowledge.
that thou mayest keep reflection, and that thy lips may preserve knowledge.
3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
For the lips of the 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 take hold on Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
6 Lest you should ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that you can not know them.
Lest she should ponder the path of life, her ways wander, she knoweth not [whither].
7 Hear me now therefore, O you children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
And now, children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
8 Remove your way far from her, and come not near the door of her house:
Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:
9 Lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel:
lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;
10 Lest strangers be filled with your wealth; and your labors be in the house of a stranger;
lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and the fruits of thy toil [come] into the house of a stranger;
11 And you mourn at the last, when your flesh and your body are consumed,
and thou mourn in thine end, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed;
12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
and thou say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof!
13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to them that instructed me!
and I have not hearkened unto the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to those that instructed me;
14 I was almost in all evil in the middle of the congregation and assembly.
I was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
15 Drink waters out of your own cistern, and running waters out of your own well.
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
16 Let your fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
Thy fountains shall be poured forth, as water-brooks in the broadways.
17 Let them be only your own, and not strangers’ with you.
Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
18 Let your fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of your youth.
Let thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth.
19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and be you ravished always with her love.
As a lovely hind and a graceful roe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times: be thou ravished continually with her love.
20 And why will you, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
And why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his goings.
For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah, and he pondereth all his paths.
22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be held with the cords of his sins.
His own iniquities shall take the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.
23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
He shall die for want of discipline; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
