15 Drink water from your own cistern,

running water from your own well.

16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,

your streams of water in the public squares?

17 Let them be yours alone,

never to be shared with strangers.

18 May your fountain be blessed,

and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

19 A loving doe, a graceful deer—

may her breasts satisfy you always,

may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?

Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

21 For your ways are in full view of the Lord,

and he examines all your paths.

22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;

the cords of their sins hold them fast.

23 For lack of discipline they will die,

led astray by their own great folly.

15 Drink water from your own cistern,

flowing water from your own well.

16 Should your springs be scattered abroad,

streams of water in the streets?

17 Let them be for yourself alone,

and not for strangers with you.

18 Let your fountain be blessed,

and rejoice in the wife of your youth,

19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe.

Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;

be intoxicated always in her love.

20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman

and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?

21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord,

and he ponders all his paths.

22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,

and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.

23 He dies for lack of discipline,

and because of his great folly he is led astray.

15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern,

And running waters out of thine own well.

16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad,

And rivers of waters in the streets.

17 Let them be only thine own,

And not strangers’ with thee.

18 Let thy fountain be blessed:

And rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe;

Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times;

And be thou ravished always with her love.

20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman,

And embrace the bosom of a stranger?

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,

And he pondereth all his goings.

22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself,

And he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

23 He shall die without instruction;

And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

15 Drink water from your own well—

share your love only with your wife.

16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,

having sex with just anyone?

17 You should reserve it for yourselves.

Never share it with strangers.

18 Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.

Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

19 She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.

Let her breasts satisfy you always.

May you always be captivated by her love.

20 Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,

or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?

21 For the Lord sees clearly what a man does,

examining every path he takes.

22 An evil man is held captive by his own sins;

they are ropes that catch and hold him.

23 He will die for lack of self-control;

he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

15 Drink water from your own cistern,

And running water from your own well.

16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,

Streams of water in the streets?

17 Let them be only your own,

And not for strangers with you.

18 Let your fountain be blessed,

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 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?

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,

And He ponders all his paths.

22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,

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.

15 Be faithful to your own wife,

just as you drink water from your own well.

16 Don’t pour your water in the streets;

don’t give your love to just any woman.

17 These things are yours alone

and shouldn’t be shared with strangers.

18 Be happy with the wife you married when you were young.

She gives you joy, as your fountain gives you water.

19 She is as lovely and graceful as a deer.

Let her love always make you happy;

let her love always hold you captive.

20 My son, don’t be held captive by a woman who takes part in adultery.

Don’t fondle a woman who is not your wife.

21 The Lord sees everything you do,

and he watches where you go.

22 An evil man will be caught in his wicked ways;

the ropes of his sins will tie him up.

23 He will die because he does not control himself,

and he will be held captive by his foolishness.

15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern,

And running waters out of thine own well.

16 Should thy springs be dispersed abroad,

And streams of water in the streets?

17 Let them be for thyself alone,

And not for strangers with thee.

18 Let thy fountain be blessed;

And rejoice in the wife of thy youth.

19 As a loving hind and a pleasant doe,

Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times;

And be thou ravished always with her love.

20 For why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman,

And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah;

And he maketh level all his paths.

22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked,

And he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.

23 He shall die for lack of instruction;

And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. 16 Thy fountains shall be poured forth, as water-brooks in the broadways. 17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee. 18 Let thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth. 19 As a lovely hind and a graceful roe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times: be thou ravished continually with her love. 20 And why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? 21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah, and he pondereth all his paths. 22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin. 23 He shall die for want of discipline; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

15 Drink water out of your own cistern 

and running water from your own well. 

16 Why should water flow out of your spring? 

Why should your streams flow into the streets? 

17 They should be yours alone, 

so do not share them with strangers. 

18 Let your own fountain be blessed, 

and enjoy the girl you married when you were young, 

19 a loving doe and a graceful deer.

Always let her breasts satisfy you. 

Always be intoxicated with her love. 

20 Why should you, my son, 

be intoxicated with an adulterous woman 

and fondle a loose woman’s breast? 

21 Each person’s ways are clearly seen by the Lord, 

and he surveys all his actions. 

22 A wicked person will be trapped by his own wrongs, 

and he will be caught in the ropes of his own sin. 

23 He will die for his lack of discipline 

and stumble around because of his great stupidity. 

15 Drink water from your own cistern,

water flowing from your own well.

16 Should your springs flow in the streets,

streams of water in the public squares?

17 They should be for you alone

and not for you to share with strangers.

18 Let your fountain be blessed,

and take pleasure in the wife of your youth.

19 A loving doe, a graceful fawn—

let her breasts always satisfy you;

be lost in her love forever.

20 Why, my son, would you be infatuated

with a forbidden woman

or embrace the breast of a stranger?

21 For a man’s ways are before the Lord’s eyes,

and He considers all his paths.

22 A wicked man’s iniquities entrap him;

he is entangled in the ropes of his own sin.

23 He will die because there is no discipline,

and be lost because of his great stupidity.

15 Drink water from your own cistern,

flowing water from your own well.

16 Should your springs be scattered abroad,

streams of water in the streets?

17 Let them be for yourself alone,

and not for sharing with strangers.

18 Let your fountain be blessed,

and rejoice in the wife of your youth,

19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe.

May her breasts satisfy you at all times;

may you be intoxicated always by her love.

20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, by another woman

and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?

21 For human ways are under the eyes of the Lord,

and he examines all their paths.

22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare them,

and they are caught in the toils of their sin.

23 They die for lack of discipline,

and because of their great folly they are lost.

15 Drink water from your own cistern

and flowing waters from inside your own well.

16 Shall your springs be scattered outward?

In the streets, shall there be streams of water?

17 May they be yours alone,

and not for strangers who are with you.

18 May your fountain be blessed,

and rejoice in the wife of your youth.

19 She is a deer of love and a doe of grace;

may her breasts satisfy you always;

by her love may you be intoxicated continually.

20 Why should you be intoxicated, my child, by a strange woman,

and embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

21 For before the eyes of Yahweh are human ways,

and all his paths he examines.

22 His iniquities shall ensnare him, the evildoer,

and in the vanity of his sin he shall be caught.

23 He shall die for lack of discipline,

and in the greatness of his folly he shall be lost.

15 Drink water from your own well.

Drink running water from your own spring.

16 Should your springs pour out into the streets?

Should your streams of water pour out in public places?

17 No! Let them belong to you alone.

Never share them with strangers.

18 May your fountain be blessed.

May the wife you married when you were young make you happy.

19 She is like a loving doe, a graceful deer.

May her breasts always satisfy you.

May you always be captured by her love.

20 My son, why be captured by a woman who commits adultery?

Why hug the wife of another man?

21 The Lord watches a man’s ways.

He studies all of his paths.

22 A sinner is trapped by his own evil acts.

He is held tight by the ropes of his sins.

23 He will die because he refused to be corrected.

His sins will capture him because he was very foolish.