1 M y son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.

¶ My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

2 K eep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.

Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

3 B ind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.

Bind them upon thy fingers; write them upon the tablet of thine heart.

4 S ay unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding thy kinswoman:

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call understanding thy kinswoman:

5 T hat they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.

That they may keep thee from the woman belonging to someone else, from the stranger who flatters with her words.

6 F or at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;

¶ For at the window of my house I looked through my casement

7 A nd I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,

and beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

8 P assing through the street near her 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 of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.

in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night;

10 A nd, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.

and, behold, a woman met him with the attire of a harlot, and subtil of heart.

11 S he is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:

(She is loud and stubborn; her feet do not abide in her house:

12 N ow she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.

Now without, now in the streets, she lies in wait at every corner.)

13 S o she caught him, and kissed him, And with an impudent face she said unto him:

So she caught him and kissed him and with an impudent face said unto him,

14 S acrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.

I had promised sacrifices of peace; today I have payed my vows.

15 T herefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

Therefore I came forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn 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 the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.

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 a long journey:

For the husband is not at home; he is gone a long journey:

20 H e hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.

He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the appointed feast day.

21 W ith her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.

With her much fair speech she caused him to yield; with the flattering of her lips she persuaded him.

22 H e goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;

He went after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,

23 T ill an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.

until the arrow pierces through his liver. He is as a bird struggling in the snare and not knowing that it is against his own life.

24 N ow therefore, my sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.

¶ Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye sons, and attend to the words of my mouth.

25 L et not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.

Let not thine heart decline to her ways; do not go astray in her paths.

26 F or she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.

For she has caused many to fall down dead; yea, all the strong men have been slain by her.

27 H er house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.

Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.