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Proverbs 5:1–6

The Peril of Adultery

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.

5 Her feet go down to death,

dHer steps lay hold of 4hell.

6 Lest you ponder her path of life—

Her ways are unstable;

You do not know them.

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Proverbs 5:1–6 — The New International Version (NIV)

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.

Proverbs 5:1–6 — English Standard Version (ESV)

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.

Proverbs 5:1–6 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

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.

Proverbs 5:1–6 — New Living Translation (NLT)

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.

Proverbs 5:1–6 — New Century Version (NCV)

My son, pay attention to my wisdom;

listen to my words of understanding.

Be careful to use good sense,

and watch what you say.

The words of another man’s wife may seem sweet as honey;

they may be as smooth as olive oil.

But in the end she will bring you sorrow,

causing you pain like a two-edged sword.

She is on the way to death;

her steps are headed straight to the grave.

She gives little thought to life.

She doesn’t even know that her ways are wrong.

Proverbs 5:1–6 — American Standard Version (ASV)

My son, attend unto my wisdom;

Incline thine ear to my understanding:

That thou mayest preserve discretion,

And that thy lips may keep knowledge.

For the lips of a strange woman drop honey,

And her mouth 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 take hold on Sheol;

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)

My son, attend unto my wisdom, incline thine ear to my understanding; that thou mayest keep reflection, and that thy lips may preserve knowledge. For the lips of the strange woman drop honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on Sheol. Lest she should ponder the path of life, her ways wander, she knoweth not whither.

Proverbs 5:1–6 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

My son, 

pay attention to my wisdom. 

Open your ears to my understanding 

so that you may act with foresight 

and speak with insight. 

The lips of an adulterous woman drip with honey. 

Her kiss is smoother than oil, 

but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, 

as sharp as a two-edged sword. 

Her feet descend to death. 

Her steps lead straight to hell. 

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)

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.

Proverbs 5:1–6 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

My child, be attentive to my wisdom;

incline your ear to my understanding,

so that you may hold on to prudence,

and your lips may guard knowledge.

For the lips of a loose 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 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)

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.

Proverbs 5:1–6 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

My son, pay attention to my wisdom.

Listen carefully to my wise sayings.

Then you will continue to have good sense.

Your lips will keep on speaking words of knowledge.

A woman who commits adultery has lips that drip honey.

What she says is smoother than oil.

But in the end she is like bitter poison.

She cuts like a sword that has two edges.

Her feet go down to death.

Her steps lead straight to the grave.

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)

My son, give attention to my wisdom,

Incline your ear to my understanding;

That you may observe discretion

And your lips may reserve knowledge.

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey

And smoother than oil is her speech;

But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,

Sharp as a two-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death,

Her steps take hold of Sheol.

She does not ponder the path of life;

Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.


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