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 table of thine 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 stranger which 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 through my casement,

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

And 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, in the black and dark night:

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 an harlot, and subtil of heart.

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

(She is loud and stubborn; 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 is she without, now in the streets, 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 said unto him,

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

I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed 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 decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen 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 goodman 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, and will come home at the day appointed.

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 caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

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 a fool to the correction of the stocks;

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 a dart 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.

Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, 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 thine 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, many strong men have been slain by her.

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 hell, going down to the chambers of death.