1 M y son, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments and treasure them.
My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.
2 K eep my commandments and live, and keep my law and teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye.
Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 B ind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
4 S ay to skillful and godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend—
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding thy kinswoman:
5 T hat they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adventuress who flatters with and makes smooth her words.
That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.
6 F or at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice.
For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7 A nd among the simple (empty-headed and emptyhearted) ones, I perceived among the youths a young man void of good sense,
And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,
8 S auntering through the street near the corner; and he went the way to her house
Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,
9 I n the twilight, in the evening; night black and dense was falling.
In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 A nd behold, there met him a woman, dressed as a harlot and sly and cunning of heart.
And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 S he is turbulent and willful; her feet stay not in her house;
She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:
12 N ow in the streets, now in the marketplaces, she sets her ambush at every corner.
Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.
13 S o she caught him and kissed him and with impudent face she said to him,
So she caught him, and kissed him, And with an impudent face she said unto him:
14 S acrifices of peace offerings were due from me; this day I paid my vows.
Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.
15 S o I came forth to meet you; diligently I sought your face, and I have found you.
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have spread my couch with rugs and cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of fine linen of Egypt.
I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 C ome, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us console and delight ourselves with love.
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 F or the man is not at home; he is gone on a long journey;
For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:
20 H e has taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed.
He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.
21 W ith much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him and forces him along.
With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
22 S uddenly he follows her reluctantly like an ox moving to the slaughter, like one in fetters going to the correction to a fool or like a dog enticed by food to the muzzle
He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;
23 T ill a dart pierces and inflames his vitals; then like a bird fluttering straight into the net, not knowing that it will cost him his life.
Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.
24 L isten to me now therefore, O you sons, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.
25 L et not your heart incline toward her ways, do not stray into her paths.
Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.
26 F or she has cast down many wounded; indeed, all her slain are a mighty host.
For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
27 H er house is the way to Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead), going down to the chambers of death.
Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.