Proverbs 6:23–35

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,

and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,

to preserve you from the evil woman,

from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

Do not desire her beauty in your heart,

and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;

for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread,

but a married woman hunts down a precious life.

Can a man carry fire next to his chest

and his clothes not be burned?

Or can one walk on hot coals

and his feet not be scorched?

So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;

none who touches her will go unpunished.

People do not despise a thief if he steals

to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,

but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold;

he will give all the goods of his house.

He who commits adultery lacks sense;

he who does it destroys himself.

He will get wounds and dishonor,

and his disgrace will not be wiped away.

For jealousy makes a man furious,

and he will not spare when he takes revenge.

He will accept no compensation;

he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

For this command is a lamp,

this teaching is a light,

and correction and instruction

are the way to life,

keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,

from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.

Do not lust in your heart after her beauty

or let her captivate you with her eyes.

For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,

but another man’s wife preys on your very life.

Can a man scoop fire into his lap

without his clothes being burned?

Can a man walk on hot coals

without his feet being scorched?

So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished.

People do not despise a thief if he steals

to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.

Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,

though it costs him all the wealth of his house.

But a man who commits adultery has no sense;

whoever does so destroys himself.

Blows and disgrace are his lot,

and his shame will never be wiped away.

For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,

and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

He will not accept any compensation;

he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.

For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light,

and corrective discipline is the way to life.

They will protect you from an evil woman,

from the flattering tongue of a wayward woman.

Don’t lust in your heart for her beauty

or let her captivate you with her eyelashes.

For a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread,

but the wife of another man goes after a precious life.

Can a man embrace fire

and his clothes not be burned?

Can a man walk on burning coals

without scorching his feet?

So it is with the one who sleeps with

another man’s wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished.

People don’t despise the thief if he steals

to satisfy himself when he is hungry.

Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much;

he must give up all the wealth in his house.

The one who commits adultery lacks sense;

whoever does so destroys himself.

He will get a beating and dishonor,

and his disgrace will never be removed.

For jealousy enrages a husband,

and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

He will not be appeased by anything

or be persuaded by lavish bribes.

For their command is a lamp

and their instruction a light;

their corrective discipline

is the way to life.

It will keep you from the immoral woman,

from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.

Don’t lust for her beauty.

Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.

For a prostitute will bring you to poverty,

but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.

Can a man scoop a flame into his lap

and not have his clothes catch on fire?

Can he walk on hot coals

and not blister his feet?

So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife.

He who embraces her will not go unpunished.

Excuses might be found for a thief

who steals because he is starving.

But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole,

even if he has to sell everything in his house.

But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool,

for he destroys himself.

He will be wounded and disgraced.

His shame will never be erased.

For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious,

and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

He will accept no compensation,

nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.

For like a lamp is a commandment, and instruction is light,

and the way of life is the reproof of discipline,

in order to preserve you from an evil woman,

from the smoothness of the tongue of an adulteress.

Do not desire her beauty in your heart;

may she not capture you with her eyelashes.

For the price of a woman, a prostitute, is the price of a loaf of bread,

but the woman belonging to a man hunts precious life.

Can a man carry fire in his lap,

and his clothes not burn?

If a man walks upon the hot coals,

will his feet not be burned?

Thus, he who goes to the wife of his neighbor,

any who touches her shall not go unpunished.

People do not despise a thief when he steals

to fill himself when he is hungry.

But if he is found, he will pay sevenfold,

every possession of his house he shall give.

He who commits adultery with a woman lacks sense,

he destroys himself who does it.

A wound and dishonor he will find,

and his disgrace will not be wiped out.

For jealousy is the fury of a husband,

and he will not show restraint on the day of revenge.

He will not accept any compensation,

and he will not be willing, though the bribe is large.

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light;

And reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

To keep thee from the evil woman,

From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

Lust not after her beauty in thine heart;

Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread:

And the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

Can a man take fire in his bosom,

And his clothes not be burned?

Can one go upon hot coals,

And his feet not be burned?

So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife;

Whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

Men do not despise a thief, if he steal

To satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold;

He shall give all the substance of his house.

But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding:

He that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

A wound and dishonour shall he get;

And his reproach shall not be wiped away.

For jealousy is the rage of a man:

Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

He will not regard any ransom;

Neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.