| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight, | 1My child, be attentive to my wisdom, pay close attention to my understanding, |
| 2that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. | 2in order to safeguard discretion, and that your lips may guard knowledge. |
| 3For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; | 3For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her seductive words are smoother than olive oil, |
| 4but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. | 4but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. |
| 5Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. | 5Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. |
| 6She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it. | 6Lest she should make level the path leading to life, her paths are unstable but she does not know it. |
| 7Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. | 7So now, children, listen to me; do not turn aside from the words I speak. |
| 8Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, | 8Keep yourself far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, |
| 9lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel, | 9lest you give your vigor to others and your years to a cruel person, |
| 10lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich the house of another. | 10lest strangers devour your strength, and your labor benefit another man's house. |
| 11At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. | 11And at the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body are wasted away. |
| 12You will say, "How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! | 12And you will say, "How I hated discipline! My heart spurned reproof! |
| 13I would not obey my teachers or turn my ear to my instructors. | 13For I did not obey my teachers and I did not heed my instructors. |
| 14And I was soon in serious trouble in the assembly of God's people." | 14I almost came to complete ruin in the midst of the whole congregation!" |
| 15Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. | 15Drink water from your own cistern and running water from your own well. |
| 16Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? | 16Should your springs be dispersed outside, your streams of water in the wide plazas? |
| 17Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. | 17Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. |
| 18May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. | 18May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in your young wife-- |
| 19A loving doe, a graceful deer-- may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. | 19a loving doe, a graceful deer; may her breasts satisfy you at all times, may you be captivated by her love always. |
| 20Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man's wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman? | 20But why should you be captivated, my son, by an adulteress, and embrace the bosom of a different woman? |
| 21For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths. | 21For the ways of a person are in front of the LORD's eyes, and the LORD weighs all that person's paths. |
| 22The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. | 22The wicked will be captured by his own iniquities, and he will be held by the cords of his own sin. |
| 23For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly. | 23He will die because there was no discipline; because of the greatness of his folly he will reel. |
|
