Passage
Proverbs 5.18-20
Book: Proverbs · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT
Immediate context (±2 verses)
There are ads on our codex that pay for hosting and keep the codex free. If you can, please consider whitelisting ris3n.com or allowing scripts to support the work.
Sponsored
ASV (ASV)
"16. Should thy springs be dispersed abroad, And streams of water in the streets? 17. Let them be for thyself alone, And not for strangers with thee."
"18. Let thy fountain be blessed; And rejoice in the wife of thy youth. 19. As a loving hind and a pleasant doe, Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; And be thou ravished always with her love. 20. For why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?"
"21. For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah; And he maketh level all his paths. 22. His own iniquities shall take the wicked, And he shall be holden with the cords of his sin." (Proverbs 5:16-22, ASV)
WEB (WEB)
"16. Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares? 17. Let them be for yourself alone, not for strangers with you."
"18. Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19. A loving doe and a graceful deer, let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love. 20. For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another?"
"21. For the ways of man are before Yahweh’s eyes. He examines all his paths. 22. The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly." (Proverbs 5:16-22, WEB)
KJV (KJV)
"16. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. 17. Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee."
"18. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 19. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. satisfy: Heb. water thee be thou: Heb. err thou always in her love 20. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?"
"21. For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. 22. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. sins: Heb. sin" (Proverbs 5:16-22, KJV)
YLT (YLT)
"16. Let thy fountains be scattered abroad, In broad places rivulets of waters. 17. Let them be to thee for thyself, And not to strangers with thee."
"18. Let thy fountain be blessed, And rejoice because of the wife of thy youth, 19. A hind of loves, and a roe of grace! Let her loves satisfy thee at all times, In her love magnify thyself continually. 20. And why dost thou magnify thyself, My son, with a stranger? And embrace the bosom of a strange woman?"
"21. For over-against the eyes of Jehovah are the ways of each, And all his paths He is pondering. 22. His own iniquities do capture the wicked, And with the ropes of his sin he is holden." (Proverbs 5:16-22, YLT)
Setting
- Speaker: Solomon (principal); Agur; Lemuel; wise men
- Audience: young Israelite men in the wisdom tradition
- Location: Israel, Solomonic court
- Time period: principal composition c. 970-930 BC (Solomon); compilation c. 700 BC (Hezekiah)
Theological reading
Key words
- H1121 - ben, ben (Strong's H1121). Also appears in: Genesis 3, Genesis 4.26, Genesis 6.2.
- H2580 - chen, chen (Strong's H2580). Also appears in: Genesis 6.8, Genesis 18.1-15, Genesis 19.
Quoted in
Why these four translations
ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.
The four:
- ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.
See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.