Proverbs 5

¹My sonne, hearken vnto my wisedome, and incline thine eare vnto my knowledge.

²That thou maiest regarde counsell, and thy lippes obserue knowledge.

³For the lippes of a strange woman drop as an honie combe, and her mouth is more soft then oyle.

⁴But the end of her is bitter as wormewood, and sharpe as a two edged sworde.

⁵Her feete goe downe to death, and her steps take holde on hell.

⁶She weigheth not the way of life: her paths are moueable: thou canst not knowe them.

⁷Heare yee me nowe therefore, O children, and depart not from the wordes of my mouth.

⁸Keepe thy way farre from her, and come not neere the doore of her house,

⁹Least thou giue thine honor vnto others, and thy yeeres to the cruell:

¹⁰Least the stranger should be silled with thy strength, and thy labours bee in the house of a stranger,

¹¹And thou mourne at thine end, (when thou hast consumed thy flesh and thy bodie)

¹²And say, How haue I hated instruction, and mine heart despised correction!

¹³And haue not obeied the voyce of them that taught mee, nor enclined mine eare to them that instructed me!

¹⁴I was almost brought into all euil in ye mids of the Congregation and assemblie.

¹⁵Drinke the water of thy cisterne, and of the riuers out of the middes of thine owne well.

¹⁶Let thy fountaines flow foorth, and the riuers of waters in the streetes.

¹⁷But let them bee thine, euen thine onely, and not the strangers with thee.

¹⁸Let thy fountaine be blessed, and reioyce with the wife of thy youth.

¹⁹Let her be as the louing hinde and pleasant roe: let her brests satisfie thee at all times, and delite in her loue continually.

²⁰For why shouldest thou delite, my sonne, in a strange woman, or embrace the bosome of a stranger?

²¹For the waies of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his pathes.

²²His owne iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe, and he shall be holden with the cordes of his owne sinne.

²³Hee shall die for fault of instruction, and shall goe astray through his great follie.

¹My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

²That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

³For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

⁴But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

⁶Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

⁷Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

⁸Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

⁹Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

¹⁰Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

¹¹And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

¹²And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

¹³And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

¹⁴I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

¹⁵Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

¹⁶Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

¹⁷Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee.

¹⁸Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

¹⁹Let 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.

²⁰And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

²¹For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.

²²His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

²³He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.