Proverbs 5
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Proverbs chapter 5 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
Patristic commentary for this chapter has not yet been attached. The translator's notes for this chapter (2) follow the text. Related material may be found among the Church Fathers and the theology tables.
Proverbs 5
1My son, attend to my wisdom, and apply your ear to my words;Υἱὲ, ἐμῇ σοφίᾳ πρόσεχε, ἐμοῖς δὲ λόγοις παράβαλλε σὸν οὖς,
2that you may keep good understanding, and the discretion of my lips gives you a charge. Give no heed to a worthless woman;ἵνα φυλάξῃς ἔννοιαν ἀγαθήν· αἴσθησις δὲ ἐμῶν χειλέων ἐντέλλεταί σοι·
3for honey drops from the lips of a harlot, who for a season pleases your palate:Μὴ πρόσεχε φαύλῃ γυναικί. Μέλι γὰρ ἀποστάζει ἀπὸ χειλέων γυναικὸς πόρνης, ἣ πρὸς καιρὸν λιπαίνει σὸν φάρυγγα,
4but afterwards you will find her * more bitter than gall, and sharper than a two-edged sword.ὕστερον μέντοι πικρότερον χολῆς εὑρήσεις, καὶ ἠκονημένον μᾶλλον μαχαίρας διστόμου.
5For the feet of folly lead those who deal with her down to the grave with death; and her steps are not established.Τῆς γὰρ ἀφροσύνης οἱ πόδες κατάγουσι τοὺς χρωμένους αὐτῇ μετὰ θανάτου εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, τὰ δὲ ἴχνη αὐτῆς οὐκ ἐρείδεται.
6For she goes not upon the paths of life; but her ways are slippery, and not easily known.Ὁδοὺς γὰρ ζωῆς οὐκ ἐπέρχεται, σφαλεραὶ δὲ αἱ τροχιαὶ αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐκ εὔγνωστοι.
7Now then, my son, hear me, and make not my words of none effect.Νῦν οὖν υἱὲ ἄκουέ μου, καὶ μὴ ἀκύρους ποιήσεις ἐμοὺς λόγους.
8Remove your way far from her; draw not near to the doors of her house:Μακρὰν ποίησον ἀπʼ αὐτῆς σὴν ὁδόν· μὴ ἐγγίσῃς πρὸς θύραις οἴκων αὐτῆς,
9lest you give away your life to others, and your substance to the merciless:ἵνα μὴ πρόῃ ἄλλοις ζωήν σου, καὶ σὸν βίον ἀνελεήμοσιν·
10lest strangers be filled with your strength, and your labors come into the houses of strangers;Ἵνα μὴ πλησθῶσιν ἀλλότριοι σῆς ἰσχύος, οἱ δὲ σοὶ πόνοι εἰς οἴκους ἀλλοτρίων ἔλθεσι·
11And you repent at last, when the flesh of your body is consumed,Καὶ μεταμεληθήσῃ ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων, ἡνίκα ἂν κατατριβῶσι σάρκες σώματός σου,
12and you shall say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart avoided reproofs!καὶ ἐρεῖς, πῶς ἐμίσησα παιδείαν, καὶ ἐλέγχους ἐξέκλινεν ἡ καρδία μου;
13† I heard not the voice of him that instructed me, and taught me, neither did I apply my ear.Οὐκ ἤκουον φωνὴν παιδεύοντός με καὶ διδάσκοντός με, οὐδὲ παρέβαλλον τὸ οὖς μου.
14I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.Παρʼ ὀλίγον ἐγενόμην ἐν παντὶ κακῷ, ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας καὶ συναγωγῆς.
15Drink waters out of your own vessels, and out of your own springing wells.Πίνε ὕδατα ἀπὸ σῶν ἀγγείων, καὶ ἀπὸ σῶν φρεάτων πηγῆς.
16Let not waters out of your fountain be spilled by you, but let your waters go into your streets.Μὴ ὑπερεκχείσθω σοι ὕδατα ἐκ τῆς σῆς πηγῆς, εἰς δὲ σὰς πλατείας διαπορευέσθω τὰ σὰ ὕδατα.
17Let them be only your own, and let no stranger partake with you.Ἔστω σοι μόνῳ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ μηδεὶς ἀλλότριος μετασχέτω σοι.
18Let your fountain of water be truly your own; and rejoice with the wife of your youth.Ἡ πηγή σου τοῦ ὕδατος ἔστω σοι ἰδία, καὶ συνευφραίνου μετὰ γυναικὸς τῆς ἐκ νεότητός σου.
19Let your loving hart and your graceful colt company with you, and let her be considered your own, and be with you at all times; for ravished with her love you shall be greatly increased.Ἔλαφος φιλίας καὶ πῶλος σῶν χαρίτων ὁμιλείτω σοι, ἡ δὲ ἰδία ἡγείσθω σου καὶ συνέστω σοι ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ· ἐν γὰρ τῇ ταύτης φιλίᾳ συμπεριφερόμενος, πολλοστὸς ἔσῃ.
20Be not intimate with a strange woman, neither fold yourself in the arms of a woman not your own.Μὴ πολὺς ἴσθι πρὸς ἀλλοτρίαν, μηδὲ συνέχου ἀγκάλαις τῆς μὴ ἰδίας.
21For the ways of a man are before the eyes of God, and he looks on all his paths.Ἐνώπιον γάρ εἰσι τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὀφθαλμῶν ὁδοὶ ἀνδρὸς, εἰς δὲ πάσας τὰς τροχιὰς αὐτοῦ σκοπεύει.
22Iniquities ensnare a man, and every one is bound in the chains of his own sins.Παρανομίαι ἄνδρα ἀγρεύουσι, σειραῖς δὲ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτιῶν ἕκαστος σφίγγεται.
23Such a man dies with the uninstructed; and he is cast forth from the abundance of his own substance, and has perished through folly.Οὗτος τελευτᾷ μετὰ ἀπαιδεύτων, ἐκ δὲ πλήθους τῆς ἑαυτοῦ βιότητος ἐξεῤῥίφη, καὶ ἀπώλετο διʼ ἀφροσύνην.
Translator's Notes
These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.
- v. 4*Gr. a more bitter thing.
- v. 13†Alex. omits 'not.'