Proverbs 5
1 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
My son, attend unto my wisdom; incline thine ear to my understanding;
2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
That thou mayest preserve discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
For 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 twoedged 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 the nether-world; (Sheol h7585)
6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
Lest she should walk the even path of life, her ways wander, but she knoweth it not.
7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not 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 vigour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;
10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, and thy labours be in the house of an alien;
11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
And thou moan, when thine end cometh, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
And say: 'How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
Neither have I hearkened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
14 I was almost in all evil in the midst 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 thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
Let thy springs be dispersed abroad, and courses of water in the streets.
17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy 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 thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
A lovely hind and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; with her love be thou ravished always.
20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
Why then wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of an alien?
21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of YHWH, and he pondereth all his goings.
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He maketh even all his paths.
22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
His own iniquities shall ensnare 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 lack of instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall reel.
