5Pay attention, my son, and listen to my wisdom and insight. ²Then you will know how to behave properly, and your words will show that you have knowledge. ³The lips of another man’s wife may be as sweet as honey and her kisses as smooth as olive oil, ⁴but when it is all over, she leaves you nothing but bitterness and pain. ⁵She will take you down to the world of the dead; the road she walks is the road to death. ⁶She does not stay on the road to life; but wanders off, and does not realize what is happening.

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In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

My son, be attentive to my wisdom;

incline your ear to my understanding,

that you may keep discretion,

and your lips may guard knowledge.

For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,

and her speech is smoother than oil,

but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,

sharp as a two-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death;

her steps follow the path to Sheol;

she does not ponder the path of life;

her ways wander, and she does not know it.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

My son, pay attention to my wisdom,

turn your ear to my words of insight,

that you may maintain discretion

and your lips may preserve knowledge.

For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,

and her speech is smoother than oil;

but in the end she is bitter as gall,

sharp as a double-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death;

her steps lead straight to the grave.

She gives no thought to the way of life;

her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

My son, pay attention to my wisdom;

listen closely to my understanding

so that you may maintain discretion

and your lips safeguard knowledge.

Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey

and her words are smoother than oil,

in the end she’s as bitter as wormwood

and as sharp as a double-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death;

her steps head straight for Sheol.

She doesn’t consider the path of life;

she doesn’t know that her ways are unstable.

NLTNew Living Translation

My son, pay attention to my wisdom;

listen carefully to my wise counsel.

Then you will show discernment,

and your lips will express what you’ve learned.

For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,

and her mouth is smoother than oil.

But in the end she is as bitter as poison,

as dangerous as a double-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death;

her steps lead straight to the grave.

For she cares nothing about the path to life.

She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

My child, be attentive to my wisdom,

and to my understanding incline your ear;

in order to keep prudence,

and knowledge will guard your lips.

For the lips of the strange woman will drip honey,

and smoother than oil is her mouth.

But her end is bitter as the wormwood,

sharp as a two-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death;

her steps take hold of Sheol.

She does not observe the path of life;

her ways wander, and she does not know it.

KJV 1900King James Version

My son, attend unto my wisdom,

And bow thine ear to my understanding:

That thou mayest regard discretion,

And that thy lips may keep knowledge.

For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb,

And her mouth is smoother than oil:

But her end is bitter as wormwood,

Sharp as a twoedged sword.

Her feet go down to death;

Her steps take hold on hell.

Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life,

Her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

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