Proverbs 5

1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom, and listen closely to my insight,ISV — Proverbs 5:1

2 so you may carefully practice ^{a5:2 Lit. guard} discretion and your lips preserve knowledge.ISV — Proverbs 5:2

3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech ^{b5:3 Lit. palate} is smoother than oil.ISV — Proverbs 5:3

4 But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, ^{c5:4 Wormwood is a plant with an extremely bitter taste.} and as sharp as a double-edged sword.ISV — Proverbs 5:4

5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead to Sheol. ^{d5:5 i.e. the realm of the dead}ISV — Proverbs 5:5

6 You aren’t thinking about ^{e5:6 Or She does not consider} where her life is headed; her steps wander, but you do not realize ^{f5:6 Or she does not realize} it.ISV — Proverbs 5:6

7 Now, children, ^{g5:7 Or sons} listen to me. Don’t turn away from what I am saying. ^{h5:7 Lit. from the words of my mouth}ISV — Proverbs 5:7

8 Keep ^{i5:8 Lit. Keep your path} far away from her, and don’t go near the entrance to her house,ISV — Proverbs 5:8

9 so that you don’t give your honor to others, and waste your best years; ^{j5:9 Lit. and your years to the cruel}ISV — Proverbs 5:9

10 so that strangers don’t enrich themselves at your expense, ^{k5:10 Lit. don’t satisfy themselves with your strength} and your work won’t end up the possession of foreigners. ^{l5:10 Lit. won’t go into a foreigner’s house}ISV — Proverbs 5:10

11 You will cry out in anguish when your end comes, when your flesh and body are consumed,ISV — Proverbs 5:11

12 and you will say, “How I hated instruction, ^{m5:12 Or discipline} and my heart rejected correction!ISV — Proverbs 5:12

13 I did not obey my teachers and did not listen ^{n5:13 Lit. incline my ear} to my instructors.ISV — Proverbs 5:13

14 Now I am at the point of utter disaster in ^{o5:14 Lit. in the midst of} the assembly and in the congregation.”ISV — Proverbs 5:14

15 Drink water from your own cistern, and fresh ^{p5:15 Lit. flowing} water from your own well.ISV — Proverbs 5:15

16 Should your springs flow outside, or streams of water in the street?ISV — Proverbs 5:16

17 They should be for you alone and not for strangers who are with you.ISV — Proverbs 5:17

18 Let your fountain be blessed and enjoy the wife of your youth.ISV — Proverbs 5:18

19 Like a loving deer, a beautiful doe, let her breasts satisfy you all the time. Be constantly intoxicated by her love.ISV — Proverbs 5:19

20 Why should you be intoxicated by an adulteress, my son, and embrace the bosom of a foreign woman?ISV — Proverbs 5:20

21 Indeed, what a man does is ^{q5:21 Lit. Indeed, a man’s ways are} always in the LORD’s presence, ^{r5:21 Lit. in front of the LORD’s eyes} and he weighs all his paths.ISV — Proverbs 5:21

22 The wicked person’s iniquities will capture him, and he will be held with the cords of his sin.ISV — Proverbs 5:22

23 He will die for lack of discipline, and he goes astray because of his great folly.ISV — Proverbs 5:23