Proverbs 5:6

Lest ¹  she should make level the path leading to life, ²  her paths are unstable ³  but she does not know it. ⁴ 

She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.

She does not ponder the path of life; Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.

For she does not care about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t even realize where it leads.

She hasn't a clue about Real Life, about who she is or where she's going.

She never keeps her mind on the road of life; her ways are uncertain, she has no knowledge.

She does not keep straight to the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.

Lest you ponder her path of life––Her ways are unstable; You do not know them .

Lest ¹  she should make level the path leading to life, ²  her paths are unstable ³  but she does not know it. ⁴ 

¹ tn The particle פֶּן (pen) means “lest” (probably from “for the aversion of”). It occurs this once, unusually, preceding the principal clause (BDB 814 s.v.). It means that some action has been taken to avert or avoid what follows. She avoids the path of life, albeit ignorantly.

² tn Heb “the path of life.” The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “of life”) functions as a genitive of direction (“leading to”).

³ sn The verb נוּעַ (nua’) means “to quiver; to wave; to waver; to tremble”; cf. KJV “her ways are moveable”; NAB “her paths will ramble”; NLT “She staggers down a crooked trail.” The ways of the adulterous woman are unstable (BDB 631 s.v.).

⁴ sn The sadder part of the description is that this woman does not know how unstable her life is, or how uneven. However, Thomas suggests that it means, “she is not tranquil.” See D. W. Thomas, “A Note on לא תדע in Proverbs v 6,” JTS 37 (1936): 59.