1 M y son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

My son, keep my words, and hold together my teachings within you.

2 K eep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

Keep my words and live. Keep my teachings as you would your own eye.

3 B ind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.

Tie them upon your fingers. Write them upon your heart.

4 S ay unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your special friend.

5 t hat they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

They will keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger with her smooth words.

6 F or at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

For I looked out through the wood-work at the window of my house.

7 a nd beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

And I saw among the child-like and among the young people a young man without wisdom and understanding.

8 p assing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

He passed through the street near her corner and took the path to her house,

9 i n the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

in the light of the evening, after it was dark.

10 a nd, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

See, a woman comes to meet him. She is dressed like a woman who sells the use of her body, and with a heart that wants to fool and trap someone.

11 ( She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

She is loud and has a strong self-will. Her feet do not stay at home.

12 n ow is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

She is now in the street, now in the center of town where people gather. She lies in wait at every corner.

13 S o she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

So she catches him and kisses him. With a hard face she says to him,

14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

“It was time for me to give gifts on the altar in worship, and today I have paid what I promised.

15 T herefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

So I have come out to meet you, to look for you, and I have found you.

16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

I have spread my bed with coverings of linen cloth from Egypt.

17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

I have perfumed my bed with fine perfumes and spices.

18 C ome, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

Come, let us take our fill of love until morning. Let us make ourselves happy with love.

19 F or the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

For my husband is not at home. He has gone on a long trip.

20 h e hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

He has taken a bag of money with him, and he will come home at full moon.”

21 W ith her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

She leads him away with her tempting talk. She tempts him with the smooth words of her lips.

22 H e goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

All at once he follows her, like a bull going to be killed, like a wild animal goes into a trap,

23 t ill a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

until an arrow cuts through him. Like a bird that hurries into the net, he does not know that he will lose his life.

24 H earken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

So, my sons, listen to me. Listen to the words of my mouth.

25 L et not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways. Do not turn aside into her paths.

26 F or she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

For she has hurt many and destroyed many others. She has killed a great number.

27 H er house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Her house is the way to hell, going down to the rooms of death.