Proverbs 5
1 My son, attend to 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 keep discretion, And that thy lips may preserve knowledge!
That thou mayest preserve discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3 Truly, the lips of a strange woman drop honey, 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 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 the nether-world; (Sheol h7585)
6 That she may not ponder the way of life, Her paths waver when she heedeth it not.
Lest she should walk the even path of life, her ways wander, but she knoweth it not.
7 Hear me now, therefore, O children! And turn not away 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 thy bloom to others, And thy years to a cruel one;
Lest thou give thy vigour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;
10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, And thine earnings be in the house of an alien;
Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, and thy labours be in the house of an alien;
11 And lest thou mourn in thy latter end. 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 how hath my heart despised reproof!
And say: 'How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to my instructors;
Neither have I hearkened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
14 I have well-nigh fallen into utter misery; In the midst of the congregation and the assembly.”
I was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.'
15 Drink water out of thine own cistern. And running water out of thine own well:
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
16 So shall thy fountains overflow in the streets, In the wide streets, as streams of water;
Let thy springs be dispersed abroad, and courses of water in the streets.
17 They shall belong to thee alone, And not to strangers with thee;
Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
18 And thy fountain shall be blessed, Yea, thou shalt have joy in the wife of thy youth.
Let thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth.
19 A lovely hind, a graceful doe, Her breasts shall satisfy thee at all times, And thou shalt be always ravished 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 Why, then, my son, wilt thou be ravished with a wanton, 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 the LORD, And he weigheth well all his paths.
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He maketh even all his paths.
22 His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked; Yea, he shall be held fast by the cords of his own sins.
His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.
23 He shall die for want of instruction; Yea, through the greatness of his folly he shall stagger.
He shall die for lack of instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall reel.
