-
1 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
-
2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
-
3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
-
4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
-
5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
-
6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
-
7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
-
8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:
-
9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:
-
10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
-
11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
-
12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
-
13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
-
14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
-
15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
-
16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
-
17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
-
18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
-
19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
-
20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
-
21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
-
22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
-
23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
|
- 1 My son, give attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding;
- 2 That you may observe discretion And your lips may reserve knowledge.
- 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.
- 5 Her feet go down to death, Her steps take hold of Sheol.
- 6 She does not ponder the path of life; Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.
- 7 Now then, my sons, listen to me And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
- 8 Keep your way far from her And do not go near the door of her house,
- 9 Or you will give your vigor to others And your years to the cruel one;
- 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 groan at your final end, When your flesh and your body are consumed;
- 12 And you say, “How I have hated instruction! And my heart spurned reproof!
- 13 “I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined my ear to my instructors!
- 14 “I was almost in utter ruin In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
- 15 Drink water from your own cistern And fresh water from your own well.
- 16 Should your springs be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets?
- 17 Let them be yours alone And not for strangers with you.
- 18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth.
- 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 exhilarated with an adulteress And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?
- 21 For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths.
- 22 His own iniquities will capture the wicked, And he will be held with the cords of his sin.
- 23 He will die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.
|