Study Desk

Drink water from your own cistern, water flowing from your own well.⁽ⁱ⁾

Should your springs flow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?^(j)

They should be for you alone and not for you to share with strangers.

Let your fountain be blessed, and take pleasure in the wife of your youth.^(k)

A loving doe, a graceful fawn— let her breasts always satisfy you;^(l) be lost in her love forever.

Why, my son, would you be infatuated with a forbidden woman or embrace the breast of a stranger?^(m)

For a man's ways are before the Lord 's eyes,⁽ⁿ⁾ and He considers all his paths.^(o)

A wicked man's iniquities entrap him;^(p) he is entangled in the ropes of his own sin.^(q)

He will die because there is no discipline,^(r) and be lost because of his great stupidity.

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor^[a] or entered into an agreement with^[b] a stranger,^[c](a)

you have been trapped by the words of your lips^[d]— ensnared by the words of your mouth.

Do this, then, my son, and free yourself, for you have put yourself in your neighbor's power: Go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor.

Don't give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.^(b)

Escape like a gazelle from a hunter,^[e] like a bird from a fowler's trap.^[f](c)

Go to the ant,^(d) you slacker!^(e) Observe its ways and become wise.

Without leader, administrator, or ruler,

it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest.^(f)

How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest,^(g)

and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.^(h)

A worthless person,⁽ⁱ⁾ a wicked man goes around speaking dishonestly,^(j)

winking^(k) his eyes, signaling with his feet, and gesturing with his fingers.

He always plots evil^(l) with perversity in his heart— he stirs up trouble.^(m)

Therefore calamity will strike him suddenly; he will be shattered instantly—beyond recovery.⁽ⁿ⁾

The Lord hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to Him:

arrogant eyes,^(o) a lying tongue,^(p) hands that shed innocent blood,^(q)

a heart that plots wicked schemes,^(r) feet eager to run to evil,^(s)

a lying witness who gives false testimony,^(t) and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.^(u)

My son, keep your father's command, and don't reject your mother's teaching.^(v)

Always bind them to your heart; tie them around your neck.^(w)

When you walk here and there, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you.

For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light,^(x) and corrective discipline is the way to life.^(y)

They will protect you from an evil woman,^[g] from the flattering^[h] tongue of a stranger.^(z)

Don't lust in your heart for her beauty^(aa) or let her captivate you with her eyelashes.^(ab)

For a prostitute's fee is only a loaf of bread,^[i] but an adulteress^[j] goes after a precious life.^(ac)

Can a man embrace fire^[k] and his clothes not be burned?

Can a man walk on burning coals without scorching his feet?

So it is with the one who sleeps with another man's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.^(ad)

People don't despise the thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry.^(ae)

Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much;^(af) he must give up all the wealth in his house.

The one who commits adultery^[l] lacks sense; whoever does so destroys himself.^(ag)

He will get a beating^[m] and dishonor, and his disgrace will never be removed.

For jealousy enrages a husband,^(ah) and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

He will not be appeased by anything or be persuaded by lavish gifts.

My son, obey my words, and treasure my commands.^(a)

Keep my commands and live;^(b) protect my teachings as the pupil of your eye.^(c)

Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.^(d)

Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"^(e) and call understanding your relative.

She will keep you from a forbidden woman, a stranger with her flattering talk.^(f)

At the window of my house I looked through my lattice.^(g)

I saw among the inexperienced,^[a] I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking sense.

Crossing the street near her corner, he strolled down the road to her house

at twilight, in the evening, in the dark of the night.^(h)

A woman came to meet him dressed like a prostitute,⁽ⁱ⁾ having a hidden agenda.^[b]

She is loud and defiant;^(j) her feet do not stay at home.^(k)

Now in the street, now in the squares,^(l) she lurks at every corner.^(m)

She grabs him and kisses him; she brazenly says^[c] to him,

"I've made fellowship offerings;^[d] today I've fulfilled my vows.⁽ⁿ⁾

So I came out to meet you, to search for you, and I've found you.

I've spread coverings on my bed^(o)— richly colored linen from Egypt.^(p)

I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.^(q)

Come, let's drink deeply of lovemaking until morning.^(r) Let's feast on each other's love!

My husband isn't home; he went on a long journey.

He took a bag of money with him and will come home at the time of the full moon."

She seduces him with her persistent pleading; she lures with her flattering^[e] talk.

He follows her impulsively like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding toward a trap^[f]

until an arrow pierces its^[g] liver,^(s) like a bird darting into a snare^(t)— he doesn't know it will cost him his life.

Now, my sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words of my mouth.

Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways; don't stray onto her paths.^(u)

For she has brought many down to death; her victims are countless.^[h]

Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.^(v)

Doesn't Wisdom^(a) call out? Doesn't Understanding make her voice heard?

At the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads, she takes her stand.

Beside the gates^(b) at the entry to^[a] the city, at the main entrance, she cries out:

"People, I call out to you; my cry is to mankind.

Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced; develop common sense, you who are foolish.

Listen, for I speak of noble things, and what my lips say is right.

For my mouth tells the truth,^(c) and wickedness is detestable to my lips.

All the words of my mouth are righteous; none of them are deceptive or perverse.^(d)

All of them are clear to the perceptive,^(e) and right to those who discover knowledge.

Accept my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.^(f)

For wisdom is better than jewels,^(g) and nothing desirable can compare with it.^(h)