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Proverbs 6:20-7:27
New King James Version
Proverbs 6:20-7:27
New King James Version
Beware of Adultery
20 (A)My son, keep your father’s command,
And do not forsake the law of your mother.
21 (B)Bind them continually upon your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 (C)When you roam, [a]they will lead you;
When you sleep, (D)they will keep you;
And when you awake, they will speak with you.
23 (E)For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 (F)To keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattering tongue of a seductress.
25 (G)Do not lust after her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.
26 For (H)by means of a harlot
A man is reduced to a crust of bread;
(I)And [b]an adulteress will (J)prey upon his precious life.
27 Can a man take fire to his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one walk on hot coals,
And his feet not be seared?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
30 People do not despise a thief
If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.
31 Yet when he is found, (K)he must restore sevenfold;
He may have to give up all the substance of his house.
32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman (L)lacks understanding;
He who does so destroys his own soul.
33 Wounds and dishonor he will get,
And his reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For (M)jealousy is a husband’s fury;
Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will [c]accept no recompense,
Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.
The Wiles of a Harlot
7 My son, keep my words,
And (N)treasure my commands within you.
2 (O)Keep my commands and live,
(P)And my law as the apple of your eye.
3 (Q)Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your nearest kin,
5 (R)That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.
The Crafty Harlot
6 For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
7 And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the [d]youths,
A young man (S)devoid[e] of understanding,
8 Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
9 (T)In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.
10 And there a woman met him,
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
11 (U)She was loud and rebellious,
(V)Her feet would not stay at home.
12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him and kissed him;
With an [f]impudent face she said to him:
14 “I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
16 I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of (W)Egyptian linen.
17 I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For [g]my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money [h]with him,
And will come home [i]on the appointed day.”
21 [j]With (X)her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
(Y)With her flattering lips she [k]seduced him.
22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or [l]as a fool to the correction of the [m]stocks,
23 Till an arrow struck his liver.
(Z)As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it [n]would cost his life.
24 Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
26 For she has cast down many wounded,
And (AA)all who were slain by her were strong men.
27 (AB)Her house is the way to [o]hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit. it
- Proverbs 6:26 Wife of another, lit. a man’s wife
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit. lift up the face of any
- Proverbs 7:7 Lit. sons
- Proverbs 7:7 lacking
- Proverbs 7:13 shameless
- Proverbs 7:19 Lit. the man
- Proverbs 7:20 Lit. in his hand
- Proverbs 7:20 at the full moon
- Proverbs 7:21 By the greatness of her words
- Proverbs 7:21 compelled
- Proverbs 7:22 LXX, Syr., Tg. as a dog to bonds; Vg. as a lamb . . . to bonds
- Proverbs 7:22 shackles
- Proverbs 7:23 Lit. is for
- Proverbs 7:27 Or Sheol
Proverbs 6:20-7:27
New International Version
Proverbs 6:20-7:27
New International Version
Warning Against Adultery
20 My son,(A) keep your father’s command
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(B)
21 Bind them always on your heart;
fasten them around your neck.(C)
22 When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.
23 For this command is a lamp,
this teaching is a light,(D)
and correction and instruction
are the way to life,(E)
24 keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,
from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.(F)
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes.
26 For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,
but another man’s wife preys on your very life.(G)
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals
without his feet being scorched?
29 So is he who sleeps(H) with another man’s wife;(I)
no one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,(J)
though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
32 But a man who commits adultery(K) has no sense;(L)
whoever does so destroys himself.
33 Blows and disgrace are his lot,
and his shame will never(M) be wiped away.
34 For jealousy(N) arouses a husband’s fury,(O)
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will not accept any compensation;
he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.(P)
Warning Against the Adulterous Woman
7 My son,(Q) keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and you will live;(R)
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.(S)
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and to insight, “You are my relative.”
5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words.(T)
6 At the window of my house
I looked down through the lattice.
7 I saw among the simple,
I noticed among the young men,
a youth who had no sense.(U)
8 He was going down the street near her corner,
walking along in the direction of her house
9 at twilight,(V) as the day was fading,
as the dark of night set in.
10 Then out came a woman to meet him,
dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
11 (She is unruly(W) and defiant,
her feet never stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the squares,
at every corner she lurks.)(X)
13 She took hold of him(Y) and kissed him
and with a brazen face she said:(Z)
14 “Today I fulfilled my vows,
and I have food from my fellowship offering(AA) at home.
15 So I came out to meet you;
I looked for you and have found you!
16 I have covered my bed
with colored linens from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed(AB)
with myrrh,(AC) aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
let’s enjoy ourselves with love!(AD)
19 My husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey.
20 He took his purse filled with money
and will not be home till full moon.”
21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
she seduced him with her smooth talk.(AE)
22 All at once he followed her
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer[a] stepping into a noose[b](AF)
23 till an arrow pierces(AG) his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
little knowing it will cost him his life.(AH)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:22 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew fool
- Proverbs 7:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.