Proverbs 5:16

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Should your springs flow in the streets,streams in the public squares?

Hebrew Names Version
Should your springs overflow in the streets, Streams of water in the public squares?

King James Version
Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

English Standard Version
Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?

New Century Version
Don't pour your water in the streets; don't give your love to just any woman.

New English Translation
Should your springs be dispersed outside, your streams of water in the wide plazas?

Amplified Bible
Should your springs (children) be dispersed, As streams of water in the streets?

New American Standard Bible
Should your springs overflow into the street, Streams of water in the public squares?

World English Bible
Should your springs overflow in the streets, Streams of water in the public squares?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Let thy fountaines flow foorth, and the riuers of waters in the streetes.

Legacy Standard Bible
Should your springs be dispersed abroad,Streams of water in the streets?

Berean Standard Bible
Why should your springs flow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?

Contemporary English Version
And don't be like a stream from which just any woman may take a drink.

Complete Jewish Bible
Let what your springs produce be dispersed outside, streams of water flowing in the streets;

Darby Translation
Thy fountains shall be poured forth, as water-brooks in the broadways.

Easy-to-Read Version
and don't let your water flow out into the streets.

George Lamsa Translation
Let your water overflow into your streets, let it be disbursed abroad.

Good News Translation
Children that you have by other women will do you no good.

Lexham English Bible
Shall your springs be scattered outward? In the streets, shall there be streams of water?

Literal Translation
Should your overflowing springs be scattered outside, like rivers of waters in the streets?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Let yi welles flowe out a brode, that there maye be ryuers of water in the stretes.

American Standard Version
Should thy springs be dispersed abroad, And streams of water in the streets?

Bible in Basic English
Let not your springs be flowing in the streets, or your streams of water in the open places.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Let thy springs be dispersed abroad, and courses of water in the streets.

King James Version (1611)
Let thy fountaines bee dispersed abroad, and riuers of waters in the streets.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let thy welles flowe out abrode, that there may be riuers of waters in the streates:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Let not waters out of thy fountain be spilt by thee, but let thy waters go into thy streets.

English Revised Version
Should thy springs be dispersed abroad, and rivers of water in the streets?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thi wellis be stremed forth; and departe thi watris in stretis.

Update Bible Version
Should your springs be dispersed abroad, And streams of water in the streets?

Webster's Bible Translation
Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, [and] rivers of waters in the streets.

New King James Version
Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets?

New Living Translation
Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone?

New Life Bible
Should the waters from your well flow away, rivers of water in the streets?

New Revised Standard
Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Let not thy fountains, flow over, abroad, in the streets, dividings of waters:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let thy fountains be conveyed abroad, and in the streets divide thy waters.

Revised Standard Version
Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?

Young's Literal Translation
Let thy fountains be scattered abroad, In broad places rivulets of waters.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Should your springs be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets?

Contextual Overview

¹⁵Do you know the saying, "Drink from your own rain barrel, draw water from your own spring-fed well"? It's true. Otherwise, you may one day come home and find your barrel empty and your well polluted. ¹⁷Your spring water is for you and you only, not to be passed around among strangers. Bless your fresh-flowing fountain! Enjoy the wife you married as a young man! Lovely as an angel, beautiful as a rose— don't ever quit taking delight in her body. Never take her love for granted! Why would you trade enduring intimacies for cheap thrills with a whore? for dalliance with a promiscuous stranger? ²¹Mark well that God doesn't miss a move you make; he's aware of every step you take. The shadow of your sin will overtake you; you'll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark. Death is the reward of an undisciplined life; your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thy: Deuteronomy 33:28, Psalms 68:26, Isaiah 48:21

dispersed: Genesis 24:60, Judges 12:9, Psalms 127:3, Psalms 128:3

Reciprocal: Numbers 24:7 - pour 1 Kings 2:9 - hold him Isaiah 48:1 - come

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad,.... Or "shall abound", as the Targum; that is, streams of water from fountains; which Aben Ezra interprets of a multitude of children, namely, that are lawfully begotten: the "fountains" are the man and his wife in lawful marriage; the streams are their offspring lawfully procreated by them; which may be said to be "dispersed abroad", when being grown up they are disposed of in marriage in other families, and so become fountains to others, and public blessings;

[and] rivers of waters in the streets; meaning a numerous posterity as before; and such as a man is not ashamed publicly to own, whereas he is ashamed of such as are unlawfully begotten; but these are to his honour in the streets, and for public good; and particularly to those to whom they are given in marriage; see Isaiah 48:1. Jarchi interprets this of multiplying disciples, and of teaching them the law publicly, and of getting a name thereby; but it might be interpreted much better of spreading the doctrines of the Gospel, and of the public ministry and profession of that, for the good of others.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wedded love streams forth in blessing on all around, on children and on neighbors and ill the streets, precisely because the wife’s true love is given to the husband only.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 5:16. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad — Let thy children lawfully begotten be numerous.