New International Version NIV
Lexham English Bible LEB
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight,
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My child, be attentive to my wisdom, and to my understanding incline your ear;
2 that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.
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[in order] to keep prudence, and knowledge will guard your lips.
3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil;
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For the lips of the strange woman will drip honey, and smoother than oil is her mouth.
4 but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.
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But her end is bitter as the wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.
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Her feet go down [to] death; her steps take hold [of] Sheol.
6 She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.
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She does not observe the path of life; her ways wander, [and] she does not know [it].
7 Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say.
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Now, O children, listen to me; do not depart from the sayings of my mouth.
8 Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house,
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Keep your paths far from her, and do not go near to the door of her house,
9 lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel,
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lest you give your honor to the others, and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich the house of another.
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lest strangers take [their] fill of your strength, and your labors [go] to the house of a foreigner,
11 At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent.
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and you groan at your end, when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction!
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and say "How I hated discipline, and I despised reproof!"
13 I would not obey my teachers or turn my ear to my instructors.
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and "I did not listen to the voice of my teachers, and I did not incline my ear to my instructors!
14 And I was soon in serious trouble in the assembly of God’s people.”
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I was almost at utter ruin in the midst of the assembly and congregation."
15 Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.
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Drink water from your [own] cistern and flowing waters from inside your own well.
16 Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?
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Shall your springs be scattered outward? In the streets, [shall there be] streams of water?
17 Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.
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May they be yours alone, and not for strangers [who are] with you.
18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
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May your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
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[She is] a deer of love and a doe of grace; may her breasts satisfy you {always}; by her love may you be intoxicated continually.
20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?
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Why should you be intoxicated, my child, by a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a foreigner?
21 For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths.
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For before the eyes of Yahweh [are] {human ways}, and all his paths he examines.
22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast.
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His iniquities shall ensnare him, the evildoer, and in the vanity of his sin he shall be caught.
23 For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.
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He shall die {for lack of} discipline, and in the greatness of his folly he shall be lost.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.