Proverbs 5

New Life Version

Being Led into Sex Sins

5 My son, listen to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding. ² So you may know what is good thinking, and your lips may keep much learning. ³ For the lips of a strange woman are as sweet as honey. Her talk is as smooth as oil. ⁴ But in the end she is as bitter tasting as wormwood, and as sharp as a sword that cuts both ways. ⁵ Her feet go down to death. Her steps take hold of hell. ⁶ She does not think about the path of life. Her ways go this way and that, and she does not know it.

⁷ Now then, my sons, listen to me. Do not turn away from the words of my mouth. ⁸ Keep far away from her. Do not go near the door of her house. ⁹ If you do, you would give your strength to others, and your years to those without loving-kindness. ¹⁰ Strangers would be filled with your strength, and the fruits of your work would go to a strange house. ¹¹ You would cry inside yourself when your end comes, when your flesh and body are wasted away. ¹² You would say, “How I have hated teaching! My heart hated strong words! ¹³ I have not listened to the voice of my teachers. I have not turned my ear to those who would teach me. ¹⁴ Now I have a bad name in the meeting place of the people.”

¹⁵ Drink water from your own pool, flowing water from your own well. ¹⁶ Should the waters from your well flow away, rivers of water in the streets? ¹⁷ Let them be yours alone, and not for strangers with you. ¹⁸ Let your well be honored, and be happy with the wife you married when you were young. ¹⁹ Let her be like a loving, female deer. Let her breasts please you at all times. Be filled with great joy always because of her love. ²⁰ My son, why should you be carried away with a sinful woman and fall into the arms of a strange woman? ²¹ For the ways of a man are seen by the eyes of the Lord, and He watches all his paths. ²² His own sins will trap the sinful. He will be held with the ropes of his sin. ²³ He will die for want of teaching, and will go the wrong way because of the greatness of his foolish ways.