For the lips of (A)a forbidden[a] woman drip honey,
    and her speech[b] is (B)smoother than oil,
but in the end she is (C)bitter as (D)wormwood,
    (E)sharp as (F)a two-edged sword.
Her feet (G)go down to death;
    her steps follow the path to[c] Sheol;
she (H)does not ponder the path of life;
    her ways wander, and she does not know it.

And (I)now, O sons, listen to me,
    and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
Keep your way far from her,
    and do not go near the door of her house,
lest you give your honor to others
    and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
    and your (J)labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and at the end of your life you (K)groan,
    when your flesh and body are consumed,

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:3 Hebrew strange; also verse 20
  2. Proverbs 5:3 Hebrew palate
  3. Proverbs 5:5 Hebrew lay hold of


For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey [like a honeycomb]
And her speech is smoother than oil;(A)

But in the end she is bitter like [the extract of] wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death;
Her steps take hold of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),

So that she does not think [seriously] about the path of life;
Her ways are aimless and unstable; you cannot know where her path leads.


Now then, my sons, listen to me
And do not depart from (forget) the words of my mouth.

Let your way [in life] be far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house [avoid even being near the places of temptation],(B)

Or you will give your honor to others,
And your years to the cruel one,
10 
And strangers will be filled with your strength
And your hard-earned wealth will go to the house of a foreigner [who does not know God];
11 
And you will groan when your life is ending,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;

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For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil;(A)
but in the end she is bitter as gall,(B)
    sharp as a double-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.(C)
She gives no thought to the way of life;
    her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.(D)

Now then, my sons, listen(E) to me;
    do not turn aside from what I say.
Keep to a path far from her,(F)
    do not go near the door of her house,
lest you lose your honor to others
    and your dignity[a] to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
    and your toil enrich the house of another.(G)
11 At the end of your life you will groan,
    when your flesh and body are spent.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:9 Or years