King James Version

Proverbs 5:20

And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

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Hebrew

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וְלָ֤מָּהvelamahand to howמָהconjunction, preposition, particle, interrogative — “and to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.תִשְׁגֶּ֣הtishgehbe ravishedשָׁגָהverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “be ravished”, an unfinished actionH7686to stray (causatively, mislead), usually (figuratively) to mistake, especially (morally) to transgress; by extension (through the idea of intoxication) to reel, (figuratively) be enraptured(cause to) go astray, deceive, err, be ravished, sin through ignorance, (let, make to) wander.בְנִ֣יvenisonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […בְזָרָ֑הvezarahin strangeזוּרpreposition, adjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “in strange”, the ordinary formH2114to turn aside (especially for lodging); hence to be aforeigner, strange, profane; specifically (active participle) to commit adultery(come from) another (man, place), fanner, go away, (e-) strange(-r, thing, woman).וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗קutechabeqand embraceחָבַקconjunction, verb, piel, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and embrace”, an unfinished actionH2263to clasp (the hands or in embrace)embrace, fold.חֵ֣קcheqbosomחֵיקnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “bosom”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2436the bosom (literally or figuratively)bosom, bottom, lap, midst, within.נָכְרִיָּֽהnakheriyahstrangeנׇכְרִיadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “strange”, the ordinary formH5237strange, in a variety of degrees and applications (foreign, non-relative, adulterous, different, wonderful)alien, foreigner, outlandish, strange(-r, woman).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Why then wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of an alien?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

For why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

Young’s Literal Translation

And why dost thou magnify thyself, My son, with a stranger? And embrace the bosom of a strange woman?

World English Bible

For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another?

Darby Translation

And why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

Douay-Rheims

Why art thou seduced, my son, by a strange woman, and art cherished in the bosom of another?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Why then wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of an alien?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Be not intimate with a strange woman, neither fold thyself in the arms of a woman not thine own.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Μὴ πολὺς ἴσθι πρὸς ἀλλοτρίαν, μηδὲ συνέχου ἀγκάλαις τῆς μὴ ἰδίας.