1 M y son, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments and treasure them.

احفَظْ يا بُنَيَّ كَلِماتِي، وَاحرُسْ وَصايايَ كَكَنْزٍ فِي قَلْبِكَ.

2 K eep my commandments and live, and keep my law and teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye.

احفَظْها فَتَحيا، وَاحرُسْ تَعالِيمِي كَحَدَقَةِ عَينِكَ.

3 B ind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

اربِطْ وَصايايَ عَلَى أصابِعِكَ، وَاكتُبْها فِي قَلبِكَ.

4 S ay to skillful and godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend—

قُلْ لِلحِكمَةِ: «أنتِ شَقِيقَتِي.» وَقُلْ لِلبَصِيرَةِ: «أنْتِ صَدِيقَتِي.»

5 T hat they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adventuress who flatters with and makes smooth her words.

فَيَحفَظاكَ مِنَ المَرأةِ الَّتِي خانَتْ زَوجَها، وَمِنَ لِسانِ الزّانِيَةِ المَعسُولِ.

6 F or at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice.

فَإنِّي نَظَرْتُ مِنْ نافِذَةِ بَيتِي، مِنْ خِلالِ الشُّبّاكِ،

7 A nd among the simple (empty-headed and emptyhearted) ones, I perceived among the youths a young man void of good sense,

فَرَأيتُ بَينَ الفِتيانِ السُّذَّجِ شابّاً فَقَدَ عَقلَهُ تَماماً.

8 S auntering through the street near the corner; and he went the way to her house

كانَ يَمشِي فِي الشّارِعِ قُربَ بَيتِها، بَلْ يَتَّجِهُ إلَيهِ

9 I n the twilight, in the evening; night black and dense was falling.

فِي وَقتِ الغُرُوبِ، وَفِي المَساءِ، وَعِندَ حُلُولِ الظَّلامِ.

10 A nd behold, there met him a woman, dressed as a harlot and sly and cunning of heart.

فَظَهَرَتْ فَجأةً امْرأةٌ تَقتَرِبُ مِنهُ في ثِيابِ عاهِرَةٍ، وَقَلبٍ ماكِرٍ.

11 S he is turbulent and willful; her feet stay not in her house;

هِيَ امرَأةٌ صاخِبَةٌ مُتَمَرِّدَةٌ، لا تَستَقِرُّ فِي بَيتِها.

12 N ow in the streets, now in the marketplaces, she sets her ambush at every corner.

تَراها في الشَّوارِعِ وَفِي السّاحاتِ، وَفِي كُلِّ زاوِيَةٍ تَتَرَقَّبُ صَيداً.

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

فَأمسَكَتْهُ وَقَبَّلَتْهُ، وَقالَتْ لَهُ بِقِلَّةِ حَياءٍ:

14 S acrifices of peace offerings were due from me; this day I paid my vows.

«قَدَّمْتُ ذَبائِحَ السَّلامِ وَالشُّكْرِ، وَأوفَيتُ اليَومَ بِنُذُورِي.

15 S o I came forth to meet you; diligently I sought your face, and I have found you.

ثًمَّ جِئْتُ أبحَثُ عَنْكَ بِلَهفَةٍ، وَها قَدْ وَجَدتُكَ.

16 I have spread my couch with rugs and cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of fine linen of Egypt.

قَدْ غَطَّيتُ سَرِيرِي بِالأغطِيَةِ المُلَوَّنَةِ مِنَ الكِتَّانِ المِصْرِيِّ.

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

عَطَّرْتُ فِراشِي بِالمُرِّ وَالصَّبرِ وَالقِرفَةِ.

18 C ome, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us console and delight ourselves with love.

فَتَعالَ لِنَشْرَبْ حُبّاً حَتَّى الصَّباحِ، وَلْنُمَتِّعْ أنفُسَنا بِالغَرامِ.

19 F or the man is not at home; he is gone on a long journey;

لِأنَّ زَوجِي لَيسَ فِي البَيتِ، فَقَدْ ذَهَبَ فِي رِحلَةٍ طَوِيلَةٍ.

20 H e has taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed.

أخَذَ مَعَهُ مالاً كَثِيراً، وَلَنْ يَعُودَ قَبلَ مُنتَصَفِ الشَّهِرِ.»

21 W ith much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him and forces him along.

أقنَعْتَهُ بِكَثرَةِ كَلامِها المُغرِي، وَبِكَلامِها النّاعِمِ ضَلَّلَتْهُ.

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

فَفِي الحالِ تَبِعَها كَثَورٍ يُؤْخَذُ إلَى الذَّبحِ، وَكَغَزالٍ يَسِيرُ إلَى الفَخِّ،

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.

حَتَّى يَشُقَّ سَهمٌ كَبِدَهُ، وَهُوَ كَطائِرٍ يُسرِعُ إلَى المِصيَدَةِ، وَلا يَعلَمُ أنَّها سَتُكَلِّفُهُ حَياتَهُ.

24 L isten to me now therefore, O you sons, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

وَالآنَ يا أبنائِي، استَمِعُوا إلَيَّ، وَاصغُوا إلَى كَلامِي.

25 L et not your heart incline toward her ways, do not stray into her paths.

لا تُحَوِّلُوا قُلُوبَكُمْ إلَى طُرُقِها، وَلا تَميلُوا نَحوَ دُرُوبِها.

26 F or she has cast down many wounded; indeed, all her slain are a mighty host.

لِأنَّها أسقَطَتِ العَدِيدَ مِنَ الأقوِياءِ، وَضَحاياها كَثِيرُونَ.

27 H er house is the way to Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead), going down to the chambers of death.

بَيُتُها يُؤدِّي إلَى الهاوِيَةِ، وَيَنحَدِرُ إلَى حُجُراتِ المَوتِ.