Online Bible

My son, ^apay attention to my wisdom,^bIncline your ear to my understanding,2 So that you may ^amaintain discretionAnd your ^blips may comply with knowledge.3 For the lips of an ¹^aadulteress ^bdrip honey,And her ²speech is ^csmoother than oil;4 But in the end she is ^abitter as wormwood,^bSharp as a two-edged sword.5 Her feet ^ago down to death,Her steps take hold of Sheol.6 ¹She does not ponder the ^apath of life;Her ways are ^bunstable, she ^cdoes not know it.

7 ^aNow then, my sons, listen to meAnd ^bdo not turn away from the words of my mouth.8 ^aKeep your way far from her,And do not go near the ^bdoor of her house,9 Otherwise you will give your vigor to others,And your years to the cruel one;10 And strangers will be filled with your strength,And your hard-earned possessions will go to the house of a foreigner;11 And you will groan ¹in ²the end,When your flesh and your body are consumed;12 And you say, “How I ^ahated instruction!And my heart ^bdisdainfully rejected rebuke!13 “I did not listen to the voice of my ^ateachers,Nor incline my ear to my instructors!14 “I was almost in total ruinIn the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

15 Drink water from your own cistern,And ¹fresh water from your own well.16 Should your ^asprings overflow into the street,Streams of water in the public squares?17 Let them be yours alone,And not for strangers with you.18 Let your ^afountain be blessed,And ^brejoice in the ^cwife of your youth.19 Like a loving ^adoe and a graceful mountain goat,Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;Be ¹exhilarated always with her love.20 For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an ¹^aadulteress,And embrace the breasts of a ^bforeigner?21 For the ^aways of everyone are before the eyes of the LORD,And He ^bobserves all his paths.22 His ^aown wrongdoings will trap the wicked,And he will be held by the ropes of his sin.23 He will ^adie for lack of instruction,And in the greatness of his foolishness he will go astray.