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

biblegateway Pro 5:6

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

She doesn't consider the path of life; she doesn't know that her ways are unstable.

She doesn’t even think about the path of life. Her steps wander, and she doesn’t realize it.

biblegateway Pro 5:6

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 wander, and she does not know it.

bibleoremus Pro 5:6

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

She does not mark out the path to life; her course twists this way and that, but she is unconcerned.”

biblegateway Pro 5:6

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

Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, [that] thou canst not know [them].

biblegateway Pro 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 

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.