1 M y son, attend unto my wisdom; Incline thine ear to my understanding:

My son, attend unto my wisdom, incline thine ear to my understanding;

2 T hat thou mayest preserve discretion, And that thy lips may keep knowledge.

that thou mayest keep reflection, and that thy lips may preserve knowledge.

3 F or the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil:

For the lips of the strange woman drop honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;

4 B ut in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.

but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

5 H er feet go down to death; Her steps take hold on Sheol;

Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on Sheol.

6 S o that she findeth not the level path of life: Her ways are unstable, and she knoweth it not.

Lest she should ponder the path of life, her ways wander, she knoweth not.

7 N ow therefore, my sons, hearken unto me, And depart not from the words of my mouth.

And now, children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

8 R emove thy way far from her, And come not nigh the door of her house;

Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

9 L est thou give thine honor unto others, And thy years unto the cruel;

lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;

10 L est strangers be filled with thy strength, And thy labors be in the house of an alien,

lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and the fruits of thy toil into the house of a stranger;

11 A nd thou mourn at thy latter end, When thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

and thou mourn in thine end, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed;

12 A nd say, How have I hated instruction, And my heart despised reproof;

and thou say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof!

13 N either have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

and I have not hearkened unto the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to those that instructed me;

14 I was well-nigh in all evil In the midst of the assembly and congregation.

I was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

15 D rink waters out of thine own cistern, And running waters out of thine own well.

Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

16 S hould thy springs be dispersed abroad, And streams of water in the streets?

Thy fountains shall be poured forth, as water-brooks in the broadways.

17 L et them be for thyself alone, And not for strangers with thee.

Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

18 L et thy fountain be blessed; And rejoice in the wife of thy youth.

Let thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth.

19 A s a loving hind and a pleasant doe, Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; And be thou ravished always with her love.

As a lovely hind and a graceful roe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times: be thou ravished continually with her love.

20 F or why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

And why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

21 F or the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah; And he maketh level all his paths.

For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah, and he pondereth all his paths.

22 H is own iniquities shall take the wicked, And he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.

His own iniquities shall take the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.

23 H e shall die for lack of instruction; And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

He shall die for want of discipline; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.