Proverbs 5

1My son! to my wisdom give attention, To mine understanding incline thine ear,

1My son, attend unto my wisdom, incline thine ear to my understanding;

2To observe thoughtfulness, And knowledge do thy lips keep.

2that thou mayest keep reflection, and that thy lips may preserve knowledge.

3For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And smoother than oil <FI>is<Fi> her mouth,

3For the lips of the strange woman drop honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;

4And her latter end <FI>is<Fi> bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a sword <FI>with<Fi> mouths.

4but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

5Her feet are going down to death, Sheol do her steps take hold of.

5Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on Sheol.

6The path of life--lest thou ponder, Moved have her paths--thou knowest not.

6Lest she should ponder the path of life, her ways wander, she knoweth not [whither].

7And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And turn not from sayings of my mouth.

7And now, children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

8Keep far from off her thy way, And come not near unto the opening of her house,

8Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

9Lest thou give to others thy honour, And thy years to the fierce,

9lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;

10Lest strangers be filled <FI>with<Fi> thy power, And thy labours in the house of a stranger,

10lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and the fruits of thy toil [come] into the house of a stranger;

11And thou hast howled in thy latter end, In the consumption of thy flesh and thy food,

11and thou mourn in thine end, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed;

12And hast said, `How have I hated instruction, And reproof hath my heart despised,

12and thou say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof!

13And I have not hearkened to the voice of my directors, And to my teachers have not inclined mine ear.

13and I have not hearkened unto the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to those that instructed me;

14As a little thing I have been all evil, In the midst of an assembly and a company.

14I was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

15Drink waters out of thine own cistern, Even flowing ones out of thine own well.

15Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

16Let thy fountains be scattered abroad, In broad places rivulets of waters.

16Thy fountains shall be poured forth, as water-brooks in the broadways.

17Let them be to thee for thyself, And not to strangers with thee.

17Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

18Let thy fountain be blessed, And rejoice because of the wife of thy youth,

18Let thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth.

19A hind of loves, and a roe of grace! Let her loves satisfy thee at all times, In her love magnify thyself continually.

19As a lovely hind and a graceful roe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times: be thou ravished continually with her love.

20And why dost thou magnify thyself, My son, with a stranger? And embrace the bosom of a strange woman?

20And why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

21For over-against the eyes of Jehovah are the ways of each, And all his paths He is pondering.

21For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah, and he pondereth all his paths.

22His own iniquities do capture the wicked, And with the ropes of his sin he is holden.

22His own iniquities shall take the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.

23He dieth without instruction, And in the abundance of his folly magnifieth himself!

23He shall die for want of discipline; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.