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

2 K eep my commandments, and live; and my teaching, as the apple of thine eye.

3 B ind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the tablet of thy heart.

4 S ay unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call intelligence kinswoman:

5 t hat they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words.

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

7 a nd I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the sons, a young man void of understanding,

8 p assing 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 blackness of night and the darkness.

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

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

12 n ow without, now in the broadways,—and she lieth in wait at every corner.

13 A nd she caught him and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

14 I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows:

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

16 I have decked my bed with tapestry coverlets of variegated linen from Egypt;

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

18 C ome, let us revel in love until the morning, let us delight ourselves with loves.

19 F or the husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;

20 h e hath taken the money-bag with him, he will come home on the day of the full moon.

21 W ith her much enticement she beguiled him; with the smoothness of her lips she constrained him.

22 H e went after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as stocks for the correction of the fool;

23 t ill an arrow strike through his liver: as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for its life.

24 A nd now, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.

25 L et not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths:

26 f or she hath cast down many wounded, and all slain by her were strong.

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