Proverbs 5:1–6
5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
1Lend your ear to my understanding,
2 That you may 2preserve discretion,
And your lips amay keep knowledge.
3 bFor the lips of 3an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is csmoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
6 Lest you ponder her path of life—
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — The New International Version (NIV)
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
turn your ear to my words of insight,
2 that you may maintain discretion
and your lips may preserve knowledge.
3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;
4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.
6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — English Standard Version (ESV)
1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding,
2 that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps follow the path to Sheol;
6 she does not ponder the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — King James Version (KJV 1900)
1 My son, attend unto my wisdom,
And bow thine ear to my understanding:
2 That thou mayest regard discretion,
And that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb,
And her mouth is smoother than oil:
4 But her end is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a twoedged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
Her steps take hold on hell.
6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life,
Her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — New Living Translation (NLT)
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen carefully to my wise counsel.
2 Then you will show discernment,
and your lips will express what you’ve learned.
3 For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
and her mouth is smoother than oil.
4 But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.
6 For she cares nothing about the path to life.
She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — New Century Version (NCV)
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen to my words of understanding.
2 Be careful to use good sense,
and watch what you say.
3 The words of another man’s wife may seem sweet as honey;
they may be as smooth as olive oil.
4 But in the end she will bring you sorrow,
causing you pain like a two-edged sword.
5 She is on the way to death;
her steps are headed straight to the grave.
6 She gives little thought to life.
She doesn’t even know that her ways are wrong.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — American Standard Version (ASV)
1 My son, attend unto my wisdom;
Incline thine ear to my understanding:
2 That thou mayest preserve discretion,
And that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3 For the lips of a strange woman drop honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil:
4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
Her steps take hold on Sheol;
6 So that she findeth not the level path of life:
Her ways are unstable, and she knoweth it not.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)
1 My son, attend unto my wisdom, incline thine ear to my understanding; 2 that thou mayest keep reflection, and that thy lips may preserve knowledge. 3 For the lips of the strange woman drop honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; 4 but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on Sheol. 6 Lest she should ponder the path of life, her ways wander, she knoweth not whither.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
1 My son,
pay attention to my wisdom.
Open your ears to my understanding
2 so that you may act with foresight
and speak with insight.
3 The lips of an adulterous woman drip with honey.
Her kiss is smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood,
as sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet descend to death.
Her steps lead straight to hell.
6 She doesn’t even think about the path of life.
Her steps wander, and she doesn’t realize it.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen closely to my understanding
2 so that you may maintain discretion
and your lips safeguard knowledge.
3 Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey
and her words are smoother than oil,
4 in the end she’s as bitter as wormwood
and as sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps head straight for Sheol.
6 She doesn’t consider the path of life;
she doesn’t know that her ways are unstable.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
1 My child, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding,
2 so that you may hold on to prudence,
and your lips may guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of a loose woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;
4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps follow the path to Sheol.
6 She does not keep straight to the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)
1 My child, be attentive to my wisdom,
and to my understanding incline your ear;
2 in order to keep prudence,
and knowledge will guard your lips.
3 For the lips of the strange woman will drip honey,
and smoother than oil is her mouth.
4 But her end is bitter as the wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps take hold of Sheol.
6 She does not observe the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom.
Listen carefully to my wise sayings.
2 Then you will continue to have good sense.
Your lips will keep on speaking words of knowledge.
3 A woman who commits adultery has lips that drip honey.
What she says is smoother than oil.
4 But in the end she is like bitter poison.
She cuts like a sword that has two edges.
5 Her feet go down to death.
Her steps lead straight to the grave.
6 She doesn’t give any thought to her way of life.
Her paths are crooked, but she doesn’t realize it.
Proverbs 5:1–6 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)
1 My son, give attention to my wisdom,
Incline your ear to my understanding;
2 That you may observe discretion
And your lips may reserve knowledge.
3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey
And smoother than oil is her speech;
4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.
6 She does not ponder the path of life;
Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.