5:1 | My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel.

5:2 | Then you will learn to be discreet and will store up knowledge.

5:3 | The lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil.

5:4 | But the result is as bitter as poison, sharp as a double-edged sword.

5:5 | Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.

5:7 | So now, my sons, listen to me. Never stray from what I am about to say:

5:9 | If you do, you will lose your honor and hand over to merciless people everything you have achieved in life.

5:10 | Strangers will obtain your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.

5:11 | Afterward you will groan in anguish when disease consumes your body,

5:12 | and you will say, "How I hated discipline! If only I had not demanded my own way!

5:14 | I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace."

5:15 | Drink water from your own well--share your love only with your wife.

5:16 | Why spill the water of your springs in public, having sex with just anyone?

5:18 | Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

5:19 | She is a loving doe, a graceful deer. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.

5:20 | Why be captivated, my son, with an immoral woman, or embrace the breasts of an adulterous woman?

5:21 | For the LORD sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.

5:22 | An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.

5:23 | He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his incredible folly.