Proverbs 5 – search, read, and compare multiple versions of the Bible
World English Bible Classic
[1] My son, pay attention to my wisdom.
Turn your ear to my understanding,
[2] that you may maintain discretion,
that your lips may preserve knowledge.
[3] For the lips of an adulteress drip honey.
Her mouth is smoother than oil,
[4] but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood,
and as sharp as a two-edged sword.
[5] Her feet go down to death.
Her steps lead straight to Sheol.ⓘ
[6] She gives no thought to the way of life.
Her ways are crooked, and she doesn’t know it. [7] Now therefore, my sons, listen to me.
Don’t depart from the words of my mouth.
[8] Remove your way far from her.
Don’t come near the door of her house,
[9] lest you give your honor to others,
and your years to the cruel one;
[10] lest strangers feast on your wealth,
and your labors enrich another man’s house.
[11] You will groan at your latter end,
when your flesh and your body are consumed,
[12] and say, “How I have hated instruction,
and my heart despised reproof.
[13] I haven’t obeyed the voice of my teachers,
nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!
[14] I have come to the brink of utter ruin,
among the gathered assembly.” [15] Drink water out of your own cistern,
running water out of your own well.
[16] Should your springs overflow in the streets,
streams of water in the public squares?
[17] Let them be for yourself alone,
not for strangers with you.
[18] Let your spring be blessed.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
[19] A loving doe and a graceful deer—
let her breasts satisfy you at all times.
Be captivated always with her love.
[20] For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress?
Why embrace the bosom of another?
[21] For the ways of man are before Yahweh’s eyes.
He examines all his paths.
[22] The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him.
The cords of his sin hold him firmly.
[23] He will die for lack of instruction.
In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.
Turn your ear to my understanding,
[2] that you may maintain discretion,
that your lips may preserve knowledge.
[3] For the lips of an adulteress drip honey.
Her mouth is smoother than oil,
[4] but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood,
and as sharp as a two-edged sword.
[5] Her feet go down to death.
Her steps lead straight to Sheol.ⓘ
[6] She gives no thought to the way of life.
Her ways are crooked, and she doesn’t know it. [7] Now therefore, my sons, listen to me.
Don’t depart from the words of my mouth.
[8] Remove your way far from her.
Don’t come near the door of her house,
[9] lest you give your honor to others,
and your years to the cruel one;
[10] lest strangers feast on your wealth,
and your labors enrich another man’s house.
[11] You will groan at your latter end,
when your flesh and your body are consumed,
[12] and say, “How I have hated instruction,
and my heart despised reproof.
[13] I haven’t obeyed the voice of my teachers,
nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!
[14] I have come to the brink of utter ruin,
among the gathered assembly.” [15] Drink water out of your own cistern,
running water out of your own well.
[16] Should your springs overflow in the streets,
streams of water in the public squares?
[17] Let them be for yourself alone,
not for strangers with you.
[18] Let your spring be blessed.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
[19] A loving doe and a graceful deer—
let her breasts satisfy you at all times.
Be captivated always with her love.
[20] For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress?
Why embrace the bosom of another?
[21] For the ways of man are before Yahweh’s eyes.
He examines all his paths.
[22] The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him.
The cords of his sin hold him firmly.
[23] He will die for lack of instruction.
In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.
Footnotes
- ⓘ 5:5 Sheol is the place of the dead.
King James Version
[1] My son, H1121 attend H7181 (HiphImpv) unto my wisdom, H2451
And bow H5186 (HiphImpv) thine ear H241 to my understanding: H8394
[2] That thou mayest regard H8104 (QalInf) discretion, H4209
And that thy lips H8193 may keep H5341 (QalImpf) knowledge. H1847
[3] For the lips H8193 of a strange woman H2114 (QalPtc) drop H5197 (QalImpf) as an honeycomb, H5317
And her mouth H2441§ is smoother H2509 than oil: H8081
[4] But her end H319 is bitter H4751 as wormwood, H3939
Sharp H2299 as a twoedged H6310 sword. H2719
[5] Her feet H7272 go down H3381 (QalActPtc) to death; H4194
Her steps H6806 take hold H8551 (QalImpf) on hell. H7585
[6] Lest thou shouldest ponder H6424 (PielImpf) the path H734 of life, H2416
Her ways H4570 are moveable, H5128 (QalPerf) that thou canst not know H3045 (QalImpf) them.
[7] Hear H8085 (QalImpv) me now therefore, O ye children, H1121
And depart H5493 (QalImpf) not from the words H561 of my mouth. H6310
[8] Remove H7368 thy way H1870 far H7368 (HiphImpv) from her,
And come not nigh H7126 (QalImpf) the door H6607 of her house: H1004
[9] Lest thou give H5414 (QalImpf) thine honour H1935 unto others, H312
And thy years H8141 unto the cruel: H394
[10] Lest strangers H2114 (QalPtc) be filled H7646 (QalImpf) with thy wealth; H3581§
And thy labours H6089 be in the house H1004 of a stranger; H5237
[11] And thou mourn H5098 (QalPerf) at the last, H319
When thy flesh H1320 and thy body H7607 are consumed, H3615 (QalInf)
[12] And say, H559 (QalPerf) How have I hated H8130 (QalPerf) instruction, H4148
And my heart H3820 despised H5006 (QalPerf) reproof; H8433
[13] And have not obeyed H8085 (QalPerf) the voice H6963 of my teachers, H3384 (HiphPtc)
Nor inclined H5186 (HiphPerf) mine ear H241 to them that instructed H3925 (PielPtc) me!
[14] I was almost H4592 in all evil H7451
In the midst H8432 of the congregation H6951 and assembly. H5712
[15] Drink H8354 (QalImpv) waters H4325 out of thine own cistern, H953
And running waters H5140 (QalActPtc) out of H8432 thine own well. H875
[16] Let thy fountains H4599 be dispersed H6327 (QalImpf) abroad, H2351
And rivers H6388 of waters H4325 in the streets. H7339
[17] Let them be only thine own,
And not strangers’ H2114 (QalPtc) with thee.
[18] Let thy fountain H4726 be blessed: H1288 (QalPasPtc)
And rejoice H8055 (QalImpv) with the wife H802 of thy youth. H5271
[19] Let her be as the loving H158 hind H365 and pleasant H2580 roe; H3280
Let her breasts H1717 satisfy H7301 (PielImpf) thee§ at all times; H6256
And be thou ravished H7686 (QalImpf) always H8548 with her love. H160§
[20] And why wilt thou, my son, H1121 be ravished H7686 (QalImpf) with a strange woman, H2114 (QalPtc)
And embrace H2263 (PielImpf) the bosom H2436 of a stranger? H5237
[21] For the ways H1870 of man H376 are before H5227 the eyes H5869 of the Lord, H3068
And he pondereth H6424 (PielPtc) all his goings. H4570
[22] His own iniquities H5771 shall take H3920 (QalImpf) the wicked H7563 himself,
And he shall be holden H8551 (NiphImpf) with the cords H2256 of his sins. H2403§
[23] He shall die H4191 (QalImpf) without instruction; H4148
And in the greatness H7230 of his folly H200 he shall go astray. H7686 (QalImpf)
And bow H5186 (HiphImpv) thine ear H241 to my understanding: H8394
[2] That thou mayest regard H8104 (QalInf) discretion, H4209
And that thy lips H8193 may keep H5341 (QalImpf) knowledge. H1847
[3] For the lips H8193 of a strange woman H2114 (QalPtc) drop H5197 (QalImpf) as an honeycomb, H5317
And her mouth H2441§ is smoother H2509 than oil: H8081
[4] But her end H319 is bitter H4751 as wormwood, H3939
Sharp H2299 as a twoedged H6310 sword. H2719
[5] Her feet H7272 go down H3381 (QalActPtc) to death; H4194
Her steps H6806 take hold H8551 (QalImpf) on hell. H7585
[6] Lest thou shouldest ponder H6424 (PielImpf) the path H734 of life, H2416
Her ways H4570 are moveable, H5128 (QalPerf) that thou canst not know H3045 (QalImpf) them.
[7] Hear H8085 (QalImpv) me now therefore, O ye children, H1121
And depart H5493 (QalImpf) not from the words H561 of my mouth. H6310
[8] Remove H7368 thy way H1870 far H7368 (HiphImpv) from her,
And come not nigh H7126 (QalImpf) the door H6607 of her house: H1004
[9] Lest thou give H5414 (QalImpf) thine honour H1935 unto others, H312
And thy years H8141 unto the cruel: H394
[10] Lest strangers H2114 (QalPtc) be filled H7646 (QalImpf) with thy wealth; H3581§
And thy labours H6089 be in the house H1004 of a stranger; H5237
[11] And thou mourn H5098 (QalPerf) at the last, H319
When thy flesh H1320 and thy body H7607 are consumed, H3615 (QalInf)
[12] And say, H559 (QalPerf) How have I hated H8130 (QalPerf) instruction, H4148
And my heart H3820 despised H5006 (QalPerf) reproof; H8433
[13] And have not obeyed H8085 (QalPerf) the voice H6963 of my teachers, H3384 (HiphPtc)
Nor inclined H5186 (HiphPerf) mine ear H241 to them that instructed H3925 (PielPtc) me!
[14] I was almost H4592 in all evil H7451
In the midst H8432 of the congregation H6951 and assembly. H5712
[15] Drink H8354 (QalImpv) waters H4325 out of thine own cistern, H953
And running waters H5140 (QalActPtc) out of H8432 thine own well. H875
[16] Let thy fountains H4599 be dispersed H6327 (QalImpf) abroad, H2351
And rivers H6388 of waters H4325 in the streets. H7339
[17] Let them be only thine own,
And not strangers’ H2114 (QalPtc) with thee.
[18] Let thy fountain H4726 be blessed: H1288 (QalPasPtc)
And rejoice H8055 (QalImpv) with the wife H802 of thy youth. H5271
[19] Let her be as the loving H158 hind H365 and pleasant H2580 roe; H3280
Let her breasts H1717 satisfy H7301 (PielImpf) thee§ at all times; H6256
And be thou ravished H7686 (QalImpf) always H8548 with her love. H160§
[20] And why wilt thou, my son, H1121 be ravished H7686 (QalImpf) with a strange woman, H2114 (QalPtc)
And embrace H2263 (PielImpf) the bosom H2436 of a stranger? H5237
[21] For the ways H1870 of man H376 are before H5227 the eyes H5869 of the Lord, H3068
And he pondereth H6424 (PielPtc) all his goings. H4570
[22] His own iniquities H5771 shall take H3920 (QalImpf) the wicked H7563 himself,
And he shall be holden H8551 (NiphImpf) with the cords H2256 of his sins. H2403§
[23] He shall die H4191 (QalImpf) without instruction; H4148
And in the greatness H7230 of his folly H200 he shall go astray. H7686 (QalImpf)
Footnotes
- § 5:3 Heb. palate
- § 5:10 Heb. thy strength
- § 5:19a Heb. water thee
- § 5:19b Heb. err thou always in her love
- § 5:22 Heb. sin
Byzantine Greek New Testament
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