Proverbs 5
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1My son, pay attention to my wisdom; Lend your ear to my understanding,1My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding,
2That you may preserve discretion, And your lips may keep knowledge.2that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge.
3For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil;3For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil,
4But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-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 lay hold of hell.5Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol;
6Lest you ponder her path of life— Her ways are unstable; You do not know them.6she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.
7Therefore hear me now, my children, And do not depart from the words of my mouth.7And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house,8Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house,
9Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one;9lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless,
10Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;10lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11And you mourn at last, When your flesh and your body are consumed,11and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed,
12And say: “How I have hated instruction, And my heart despised correction!12and you say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!
13I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!13I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.
14I was on the verge of total ruin, In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”14I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.”
15Drink water from your own cistern, And running water from your own well.15Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.
16Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets?16Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?
17Let them be only your own, And not for strangers with you.17Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you.
18Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.18Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
19As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.19a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.
20For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?20Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?
21For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths.21For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.
22His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin.22The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
23He shall die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.23He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 4
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