Proverbs 9:16-18
Proverbs 9:13-18 The Message (MSG)
Then there’s this other woman, Madame Prostitute— brazen, empty-headed, frivolous. She sits on the front porch of her house on Main Street, And as people walk by minding their own business, calls out, “Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on? Steal off with me, I’ll show you a good time! No one will ever know—I’ll give you the time of your life.” But they don’t know about all the skeletons in her closet, that all her guests end up in hell.
Proverbs 9:16-18 King James Version (KJV)
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: And as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; And that her guests are in the depths of hell.
Proverbs 9:16-18 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,” And to him who lacks understanding she says, “Stolen water is sweet; And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Proverbs 9:16-18 New Century Version (NCV)
She says to those who are uneducated, “Come in here, you foolish people! Stolen water is sweeter, and food eaten in secret tastes better.” But these people don’t know that everyone who goes there dies, that her guests end up deep in the grave.
Proverbs 9:16-18 American Standard Version (ASV)
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither; And as for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Proverbs 9:16-18 New International Version (NIV)
“Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says, “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.
Proverbs 9:16-18 New King James Version (NKJV)
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”; And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, “Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell.
Proverbs 9:16-18 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks understanding (common sense), she says, “Stolen waters (pleasures) are sweet [because they are forbidden]; And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” [Prov 20:17] But he does not know that the spirits of the dead are there, And that her guests are [already] in the depths of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).
Proverbs 9:16-18 New Living Translation (NLT)
“Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, “Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!” But little do they know that the dead are there. Her guests are in the depths of the grave.
Proverbs 9:16-18 The Passion Translation (TPT)
“Come home with me.” She invites those who are easily led astray, saying, “Illicit sex is the best sex of all. Our secret affair will be sweeter than all others.” Little do they know when they answer her call that she dwells among the spirits of the dead, and all her guests soon become citizens of hell!
Proverbs 9:16-18 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says, “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.