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GOD’S WORD Translation
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5TH CHAPTER

Avoid Adultery

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. 

But now, sons, 

listen to me, 

and do not turn away from what I say to you. 

Stay far away from her. 

Do not even go near her door. 

Either you will surrender your reputation to others 

and ⸤the rest of⸥ your years to some cruel person, 

10  or strangers will benefit from your strength 

and you will have to work hard in a pagan’s house. 

11  Then you will groan when your end comes, 

when your body and flesh are consumed. 

You will say, 

12  “Oh, how I hated discipline! 

How my heart despised correction! 

13  I didn’t listen to what my teachers said to me, 

nor did I keep my ear open to my instructors. 

14  I almost reached total ruin 

in the assembly and in the congregation.” 

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.a

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. 

GW

About GOD’S WORD Translation

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) communicates the saving, life-changing Good News about Jesus in clear, natural English. Translated directly from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek by a committee of scholars, GOD’S WORD is an exceptional Bible that consciously combines scholarly fidelity with natural English.

By implementing the translation principles of Closest Natural Equivalence, the translation committee seeks to translate the best available texts into English with the closest possible accuracy. This commitment to accurately translating the Bible includes expressing the meaning naturally and in a style that preserves the characteristics of the source text.

The combination of accuracy and readability makes GOD’S WORD ideally suited for the following:

Devotional reading and in-depth study

Preaching, teaching, and worship

Memorization

Discipleship

Copyright

Scripture references from GOD’S WORD are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.

Up to 500 verses from GOD’S WORD may be quoted in any form (printed, written, visual, electronic, or audio) without written permission, provided that no more than half of any one book is quoted, and the verses quoted do not amount to more than 25% of the text of the work in which they are quoted.

The designation (GOD’S WORD) must always appear after each quotation. In addition, if the quotation is used in a work that is not for sale, the work must bear the following notice either on the title page or reverse thereof of each copy, or in a location where it can be readily perceived by the reader:

GOD’S WORD is a copyrighted work of God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society. Quotations are used by permission.

If used in a work that is for sale, the following copyright notice must be used:

GOD’S WORD is a copyrighted work of God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.

For quotation of over 500 verses and/or questions about these policies, contact God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, P.O. Box 26343, Cleveland, Ohio 44126-0343, U.S.A.

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