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

My son, keep my words And treasure my commandments within you.

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

Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye.

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

Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.

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

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your intimate friend;

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

That they may keep you from an adulteress, From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

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

For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice,

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

And I saw among the naive, And discerned among the youths A young man lacking sense,

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 takes the way to her house,

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

In the twilight, in the evening, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.

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

And behold, a woman comes to meet him, Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart.

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

She is boisterous and rebellious, Her feet do not remain at home;

12 N ow without, now in the streets, she lies in wait at every corner.)

She is now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner.

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

So she seizes him and kisses him And with a brazen face she says to him:

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

“ I was due to offer peace offerings; Today I have paid my vows.

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

“Therefore I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.

16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

“I have spread my couch with coverings, With colored linens of Egypt.

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

“I have sprinkled 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 drink our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with caresses.

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

“For my husband is not at home, He has gone on a long journey;

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

He has taken a bag of money with him, At the full moon he will come home.”

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

With her many persuasions she entices him; With her flattering lips she seduces 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,

Suddenly he follows her As an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool,

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.

Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hastens to the snare, So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

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

Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth.

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

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

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

For many are the victims she has cast down, And numerous are all her slain.

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

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