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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 T hat they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adventuress who flatters with and makes smooth 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 out through my lattice.

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

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

8 S auntering through the street near the 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; night black and dense was falling.

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

10 A nd behold, there met him a woman, dressed as a harlot and sly and cunning 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 S he is turbulent and willful; her feet stay not in her house;

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

12 N ow in the streets, now in the marketplaces, she sets her ambush 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 impudent face she said to him,

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

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

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

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

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

16 I have spread my couch with rugs and cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of 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 morning; let us console and delight ourselves with love.

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

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

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

20 H e has 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 much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him and forces him along.

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

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

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 pierces and inflames his vitals; then like a bird fluttering straight into the net, not knowing that it will cost him 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 L isten to me now therefore, O you sons, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

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

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

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

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

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

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 rooms of death.