Proverbs 5
World English BibleTranslation
World English Bible
JPS Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)
1My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding,
1My son, attend unto my wisdom; incline thine ear to my understanding;
2that you may maintain discretion, that your lips may preserve knowledge.
2That thou mayest preserve discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,
3For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;
4but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.
4But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
5Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to Sheol.
5Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on the nether-world;
6She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she doesn’t know it.
6Lest she should walk the even path of life, her ways wander, but she knoweth it not.
7Now therefore, my sons, listen to me. Don’t depart from the words of my mouth.
7Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
8Remove your way far from her. Don’t come near the door of her house,
8Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house;
9lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;
9Lest thou give thy vigour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;
10lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich another man’s house.
10Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, and thy labours be in the house of an alien;
11You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed,
11And thou moan, when thine end cometh, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
12and say, “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof.
12And say: 'How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
13I haven’t obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!
13Neither have I hearkened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
14I have come to the brink of utter ruin, among the gathered assembly.”
14I was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.'
15Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well.
15Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
16Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?
16Let thy springs be dispersed abroad, and courses of water in the streets.
17Let them be for yourself alone, not for strangers with you.
17Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
18Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
18Let thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth.
19A loving doe and a graceful deer— let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love.
19A lovely hind and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; with her love be thou ravished always.
20For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another?
20Why then wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of an alien?
21For the ways of man are before the LORD’s eyes. He examines all his paths.
21For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He maketh even all his paths.
22The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly.
22His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.
23He will die for lack of instruction. In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.
23He shall die for lack of instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall reel.
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