1 M y son, keep my words And treasure my commandments within you.

My son, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments and treasure them.

2 K eep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye.

Keep my commandments and live, and keep my law and teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye.

3 B ind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.

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

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

Say to skillful and godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend—

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

That they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adventuress who flatters with and makes smooth her words.

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

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

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

And among the simple (empty-headed and emptyhearted) ones, I perceived among the youths a young man void of good sense,

8 P assing through the street near her corner; And he takes the way to her house,

Sauntering through the street near the corner; and he went the way to her house

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

In the twilight, in the evening; night black and dense was falling.

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

And behold, there met him a woman, dressed as a harlot and sly and cunning of heart.

11 S he is boisterous and rebellious, Her feet do not remain at home;

She is turbulent and willful; her feet stay not in her house;

12 S he is now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner.

Now in the streets, now in the marketplaces, she sets her ambush at every corner.

13 S o she seizes him and kisses him And with a brazen face she says to him:

So she caught him and kissed him and with impudent face she said to him,

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

Sacrifices of peace offerings were due from me; this day I paid my vows.

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

So I came forth to meet you; diligently I sought your face, and I have found you.

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

I have spread my couch with rugs and cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of fine linen of Egypt.

17 “ I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

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

18 “ Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with caresses.

Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us console and delight ourselves with love.

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

For the man is not at home; he is gone on a long journey;

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

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

21 W ith her many persuasions she entices him; With her flattering lips she seduces him.

With much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him and forces him along.

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

Suddenly he follows her reluctantly like an ox moving to the slaughter, like one in fetters going to the correction to a fool or like a dog enticed by food to the muzzle

23 U ntil 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.

Till a dart pierces and inflames his vitals; then like a bird fluttering straight into the net, not knowing that it will cost him his life.

24 N ow therefore, my sons, listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth.

Listen to me now therefore, O you sons, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

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

Let not your heart incline toward her ways, do not stray into her paths.

26 F or many are the victims she has cast down, And numerous are all her slain.

For she has cast down many wounded; indeed, all her slain are a mighty host.

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

Her house is the way to Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead), going down to the chambers of death.