New King James Version

New American Standard Bible

The Peril of Adultery

My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
[a]Lend your ear to my understanding,

1

Pitfalls of Immorality

My son, give attention to my wisdom,
Incline your ear to my understanding;

2

That you may [b]preserve discretion,
And your lips may keep knowledge.

2

That you may observe discretion
And your lips may reserve knowledge.

3

For the lips of [c]an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;

3

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey
And smoother than oil is her speech;

4

But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.

4

But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.

5

Her feet go down to death,
Her steps lay hold of [d]hell.

5

Her feet go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.

6

Lest you ponder her path of life —
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.

6

She does not ponder the path of life;
Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.

7

Therefore hear me now, my children,
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.

7

Now then, my sons, listen to me
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.

8

Remove your way far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house,

8

Keep your way far from her
And do not go near the door of her house,

9

Lest you give your [e]honor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;

9

Or you will give your vigor to others
And your years to the cruel one;

10

Lest aliens be filled with your [f]wealth,
And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;

10

And strangers will be filled with your strength
And your hard-earned goods will go to the house of an alien;

11

And you mourn at last,
When your flesh and your body are consumed,

11

And you groan at your final end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;

12

And say:
“How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!

12

And you say, “How I have hated instruction!
And my heart spurned reproof!

13

I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!

13

“I have not listened to the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to my instructors!

14

I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

14

“I was almost in utter ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

15

Drink water from your own cistern,
And running water from your own well.

15

Drink water from your own cistern
And fresh water from your own well.

16

Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,
[g]Streams of water in the streets?

16

Should your springs be dispersed abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?

17

Let them be only your own,
And not for strangers with you.

17

Let them be yours alone
And not for strangers with you.

18

Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with the wife of your youth.

18

Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice in the wife of your youth.

19

As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be [h]enraptured with her love.

19

As a loving hind and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be exhilarated always with her love.

20

For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman,
And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?

20

For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress
And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

21

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He [i]ponders all his paths.

21

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD,
And He watches all his paths.

22

His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.

22

His own iniquities will capture the wicked,
And he will be held with the cords of his sin.

23

He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

23

He will die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.

Parallel

New King James Version

New American Standard Bible

Proverbs 5

Proverbs 5