1 ¶ 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.

3 B ind 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:

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

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

7 a nd 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,

9 i n the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night;

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

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

12 N ow 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 said unto him,

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

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

16 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.

18 C ome, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves.

19 F or the husband 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 appointed feast day.

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

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

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

25 L et not thine heart decline to her ways; do not go astray in her paths.

26 F or 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.