# the lips of an adulteress drip with honey

Possible meanings are 1) the word "lips" represents the words of the adulteress and the writer speaks of the attractiveness of her words as if her lips dripped with honey. AT: "the words of an adulteress are sweet, as if dripping with honey" or 2) the writer speaks of the allure of kissing the adulteress as if her lips dripped with honey. AT: "the kisses of an adulteress are sweet, as if her lips dripped with honey" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# her mouth is smoother than oil

Possible meanings are 1) the word "mouth" represents the speech of the adulteress and the writer speaks of the persuasiveness of her speech as if her mouth were smoother than olive oil. AT: "her speech is persuasive and smoother than olive oil" or 2) the writer speaks of the pleasure of kissing the adulteress as if her mouth were smoother than oil. AT: "her kisses are smoother than olive oil" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood

The writer speaks of the harm that comes from having a relationship with an adulteress as if she tasted as bitter as wormwood. AT: "but in the end, she is like bitter-tasting wormwood and will cause you harm" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# wormwood

a plant that tastes bitter

# cutting like a sharp sword

The writer speaks of the pain that the adulteress will cause to the one who has a relationship with her as if she were a sharp weapon that cuts the person. AT: "she wounds a person, as if she were a sharp sword" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/adultery]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/honey]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/oil]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/sword]]