Avoiding Immorality
(Leviticus 20:10–21; 1 Corinthians 5:1–8)

1  בְּ֭נִי (My son), לְחָכְמָתִ֣י (to my wisdom) הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה (pay attention),

לִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗י (and to my understanding) הַט־ (incline) אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ (your ear),

2  לִשְׁמֹ֥ר (to keep) מְזִמּ֑וֹת (discretion),

וְ֝דַ֗עַת (and knowledge) שְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ (your lips) יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃ (may guard).

3  כִּ֤י (For) נֹ֣פֶת (honey) תִּ֭טֹּפְנָה (drip) שִׂפְתֵ֣י (the lips) זָרָ֑ה (of the forbidden woman),

וְחָלָ֖ק (and smoother) מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן (than oil) חִכָּֽהּ׃ (is her palate).

4  וְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּ (And her end) מָרָ֣ה (is bitter) כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה (as wormwood),

חַ֝דָּ֗ה (sharp) כְּחֶ֣רֶב (as a sword) פִּיּֽוֹת׃ (with mouths).

5  רַ֭גְלֶיהָ (Her feet) יֹרְד֣וֹת (go down) מָ֑וֶת (to death);

שְׁ֝א֗וֹל (of sheol) צְעָדֶ֥יהָ (her steps) יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃ (lay hold).

6  אֹ֣רַח (The path) חַ֭יִּים (of life)— פֶּן־ (not) תְּפַלֵּ֑ס (does she weigh)—

נָע֥וּ (unstable are) מַ֝עְגְּלֹתֶ֗יהָ (her tracks); לֹ֣א (not) תֵדָֽע׃פ (does she know it).

7  וְעַתָּ֣ה (And now), בָ֭נִים (sons), שִׁמְעוּ־ (listen) לִ֑י (to me),

וְאַל־ (and do not) תָּ֝ס֗וּרוּ (turn aside) מֵאִמְרֵי־ (from the words) פִֽי׃ (of my mouth).

8  הַרְחֵ֣ק (Keep far away) מֵעָלֶ֣יהָ (from her) דַרְכֶּ֑ךָ (your path),

וְאַל־ (and do not) תִּ֝קְרַ֗ב (go near) אֶל־ (to) פֶּ֥תַח (the opening) בֵּיתָֽהּ׃ (of her house),

9  פֶּן־ (lest) תִּתֵּ֣ן (you give) לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים (to others) הוֹדֶ֑ךָ (your splendor)

וּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָ (and your years) לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃ (to a cruel one),

10  פֶּֽן־ (lest) יִשְׂבְּע֣וּ (be satisfied) זָרִ֣ים (strangers) כֹּחֶ֑ךָ (by your strength)

וַ֝עֲצָבֶ֗יךָ (and your labors) בְּבֵ֣ית (be in the house) נָכְרִֽי׃ (of a foreigner),

11  וְנָהַמְתָּ֥ (and you groan) בְאַחֲרִיתֶ֑ךָ (at your end)

בִּכְל֥וֹת (in the consumption of) בְּ֝שָׂרְךָ֗ (your flesh) וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃ (and your body).

12  וְֽאָמַרְתָּ֗ (And you say), אֵ֭יךְ (How) שָׂנֵ֣אתִי (I hated) מוּסָ֑ר (discipline),

וְ֝תוֹכַ֗חַת (and rebuke) נָאַ֥ץ (has spurned) לִבִּֽי׃ (my heart).

13  וְֽלֹא־ (And not) שָׁ֭מַעְתִּי (have I listened) בְּק֣וֹל (to the voice) מוֹרָ֑י (of my instructors),

וְ֝לִֽמְלַמְּדַ֗י (and to those teaching me) לֹא־ (not) הִטִּ֥יתִי (have I inclined) אָזְנִֽי׃ (my ear).

14  כִּ֭מְעַט (As a little) הָיִ֣יתִי (am I) בְכָל־ (from all) רָ֑ע (evil)

בְּת֖וֹךְ (in the midst) קָהָ֣ל (of the assembly) וְעֵדָֽה׃ (and the gathering).

15  שְׁתֵה־ (Drink) מַ֥יִם (water) מִבּוֹרֶ֑ךָ (from your own cistern),

וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים (and flowing) מִתּ֥וֹךְ (from the midst) בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃ (of your own well).

16  יָפ֣וּצוּ (Should be dispersed) מַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָ (your fountains) ח֑וּצָה (outside),

בָּ֝רְחֹב֗וֹת (in broad places) פַּלְגֵי־ (channels) מָֽיִם׃ (of water).

17  יִֽהְיוּ־ (Let them be) לְךָ֥ (for you) לְבַדֶּ֑ךָ (yourself alone)

וְאֵ֖ין (and not) לְזָרִ֣ים (for strangers) אִתָּֽךְ׃ (with you).

18  יְהִֽי־ (Let be) מְקוֹרְךָ֥ (your fountain) בָר֑וּךְ (blessed),

וּ֝שְׂמַ֗ח (and rejoice) מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת (with the wife) נְעוּרֶֽךָ׃ (of your youth).

19  אַיֶּ֥לֶת (A doe) אֲהָבִ֗ים (loving) וְֽיַעֲלַ֫ת־ (and a deer) חֵ֥ן (graceful)

דַּ֭דֶּיהָ (her breasts) יְרַוֻּ֣ךָ (let satisfy you) בְכָל־ (at all) עֵ֑ת (times);

בְּ֝אַהֲבָתָ֗הּ (in her love alone) תִּשְׁגֶּ֥ה (may you wander) תָמִֽיד׃ (continually).

20  וְלָ֤מָּה (And why) תִשְׁגֶּ֣ה (do you wander), בְנִ֣י (my son), בְזָרָ֑ה (with a strange woman),

וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק (and embrace) חֵ֣ק (the bosom) נָכְרִיָּֽה׃ (of a foreign woman)?

21  כִּ֤י (For) נֹ֨כַח׀ (in front) עֵינֵ֣י (of the eyes) יְ֭הוָה (of YHWH) דַּרְכֵי־ (are all the ways) אִ֑ישׁ (of man),

וְֽכָל־ (and all) מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו (his paths) מְפַלֵּֽס׃ (He weighs).

22  עַֽווֹנוֹתָ֗יו (His own iniquities) יִלְכְּדֻנ֥וֹ (capture) אֶת־ (-) הָרָשָׁ֑ע (a wicked one),

וּבְחַבְלֵ֥י (and with the cords) חַ֝טָּאת֗וֹ (of his sin) יִתָּמֵֽךְ׃ (he is held).

23  ה֗וּא (He) יָ֭מוּת (shall die) בְּאֵ֣ין (for lack) מוּסָ֑ר (of discipline),

וּבְרֹ֖ב (and in the abundance) אִוַּלְתּ֣וֹ (of his folly) יִשְׁגֶּֽה׃פ (he shall go astray).