New International Version NIV
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight,
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My son! to my wisdom give attention, To mine understanding incline thine ear,
2 that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.
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To observe thoughtfulness, And knowledge do thy lips keep.
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 a strange woman drop 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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And her latter end [is] bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a sword [with] mouths.
5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.
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Her feet are going down to death, Sheol do her steps take hold of.
6 She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.
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The path of life -- lest thou ponder, Moved have her paths -- thou knowest not.
7 Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say.
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And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And turn not from 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 far from off her thy way, And come not near unto the opening of her house,
9 lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel,
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Lest thou give to others thy honour, And thy years to the fierce,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich the house of another.
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Lest strangers be filled [with] thy power, And thy labours in the house of a stranger,
11 At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent.
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And thou hast howled in thy latter end, In the consumption of thy flesh and thy food,
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction!
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And hast said, `How have I hated instruction, And reproof hath my heart despised,
13 I would not obey my teachers or turn my ear to my instructors.
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And I have not hearkened to the voice of my directors, And to my teachers have not inclined mine ear.
14 And I was soon in serious trouble in the assembly of God’s people.”
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As a little thing I have been all evil, In the midst of an assembly and a company.
15 Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.
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Drink waters out of thine own cistern, Even flowing ones out of thine own well.
16 Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?
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Let thy fountains be scattered abroad, In broad places rivulets of waters.
17 Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.
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Let them be to thee for thyself, And not to strangers with thee.
18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
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Let thy fountain be blessed, And rejoice because of the wife of thy 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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A hind of loves, and a roe of grace! Let her loves satisfy thee at all times, In her love magnify thyself continually.
20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?
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And why dost thou magnify thyself, My son, with a stranger? And embrace the bosom of a strange woman?
21 For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths.
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For over-against the eyes of Jehovah are the ways of each, And all his paths He is pondering.
22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast.
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His own iniquities do capture the wicked, And with the ropes of his sin he is holden.
23 For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.
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He dieth without instruction, And in the abundance of his folly magnifieth himself!
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.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.