The Peril of Adultery
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
[a]Lend your ear to my understanding,
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
[a]Lend your ear to my understanding,
2 That you may [b]preserve discretion,
And your lips may keep knowledge.
And your lips may keep knowledge.
3 For the lips of [c]an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;
And her mouth is smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death,
Her steps lay hold of [d]hell.
Her steps lay hold of [d]hell.
6 Lest you ponder her path of life —
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.
7 Therefore hear me now, my children,
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Remove your way far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house,
And do not go near the door of her house,
9 Lest you give your [e]honor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
And your years to the cruel one;
10 Lest aliens be filled with your [f]wealth,
And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;
And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;
11 And you mourn at last,
When your flesh and your body are consumed,
When your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 And say:
“How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!
“How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!
13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!
Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!
14 I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
And running water from your own well.
And running water from your own well.
16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,
[g]Streams of water in the streets?
[g]Streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be only your own,
And not for strangers with you.
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with the wife of your youth.
And rejoice with the wife of your youth.
19 As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be [h]enraptured with her love.
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be [h]enraptured with her love.
20 For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman,
And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?
And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?
21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He [i]ponders all his paths.
And He [i]ponders all his paths.
22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.
23 He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.