5:1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom, incline your ear to my understanding;
5:1 My child, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding,

5:2 that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge.
5:2 so that you may hold on to prudence, and your lips may guard knowledge.

5:3 For the lips of a loose woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil;
5:3 For the lips of a loose woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil;

5:4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
5:4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol;
5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol.

5:6 she does not take heed to the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.
5:6 She does not keep straight to the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.

5:7 And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
5:7 And now, my child, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.

5:8 Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house;
5:8 Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house;

5:9 lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless;
5:9 or you will give your honor to others, and your years to the merciless,

5:10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of an alien;
5:10 and strangers will take their fill of your wealth, and your labors will go to the house of an alien;

5:11 and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed,
5:11 and at the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are consumed,

5:12 and you say, "How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!
5:12 and you say, "Oh, how I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!

5:13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.
5:13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.

5:14 I was at the point of utter ruin in the assembled congregation."
5:14 Now I am at the point of utter ruin in the public assembly."

5:15 Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.
5:15 Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.

5:16 Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?
5:16 Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?

5:17 Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you.
5:17 Let them be for yourself alone, and not for sharing with strangers.

5:18 Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
5:18 Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth,

5:19 a lovely hind, a graceful doe. Let her affection fill you at all times with delight, be infatuated always with her love.
5:19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe. May her breasts satisfy you at all times; may you be intoxicated always by her love.

5:20 Why should you be infatuated, my son, with a loose woman and embrace the bosom of an adventuress?
5:20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, by another woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?

5:21 For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he watches all his paths.
5:21 For human ways are under the eyes of the LORD, and he examines all their paths.

5:22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is caught in the toils of his sin.
5:22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare them, and they are caught in the toils of their sin.

5:23 He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is lost.
5:23 They die for lack of discipline, and because of their great folly they are lost.