The Proverbs

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- Chapter 5 -

Admonition to marriage. Warning against unchastity

(Leviticus 20:10-21; 1 Corinthians 5:1-8)

My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ears to my understanding,

so you may learn about discretion and your lips may protect knowledge.

For the lips of an adulteress drip with honey and her mouth is smoother than oil,

but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, cutting like a sharp sword.

Her feet go down to death; her steps go all the way to Sheol.

She gives no thought to the path of life. Her footsteps wander; she does not know where she is going.

Now, my sons, listen to me; do not turn away from listening to the words of my mouth.

Keep your path far away from her and do not come near the door of her house.

In that way you will not give away your honor to others or years of your life to a cruel person;

strangers will not feast on your wealth; what you have worked for will not go into the house of strangers.

At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body waste away.

You will say, “How I hated instruction and my heart despised correction!

I would not obey my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.

I was almost completely ruined in the midst of the assembly, among the gathering of the people.”

Married life

Drink water from your own cistern and drink running water from your own well.

Should your springs overflow everywhere and your streams of water flow in the public squares?

Let them be for yourself alone and not for strangers with you.

May your fountain be blessed and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth,

for she is a loving deer and a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; may you be continually intoxicated by her love.

For why should you, my son, be captivated by an adulteress; why should you embrace the breasts of an immoral woman?

Yahweh sees everything a person does and watches all the paths he takes.

A wicked person will be seized by his own iniquities; the cords of his sin will hold him tight.

He will die because he lacks instruction; he is led astray by his great foolishness.

Admonition to marriage. Warning against unchastity

(Leviticus 20:10-21; 1 Corinthians 5:1-8)

My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding,

that you may maintain discretion, that your lips may preserve knowledge.

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,

but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to Sheol.(a)

She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she doesn’t know it.

Now therefore, my sons, listen to me. Don’t depart from the words of my mouth.

Remove your way far from her. Don’t come near the door of her house,

lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;

lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich another man’s house.

You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed,

and say, “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof.

I haven’t obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!

I have come to the brink of utter ruin, among the gathered assembly.”

Married life

Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well.

Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?

Let them be for yourself alone, not for strangers with you.

Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

A loving doe and a graceful deer— let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love.

For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another?

For the ways of man are before the LORD’s eyes. He examines all his paths.

The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly.

He will die for lack of instruction. In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.

Footnotes

(a)5:5 Sheol is the place of the dead.