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

Hijo mío, guarda mis palabras, y atesora mis mandamientos contigo.

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

Guarda mis mandamientos y vivirás, y mi enseñanza como la niña de tus ojos.

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

Atalos a tus dedos, escríbelos en la tabla de tu corazón.

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

Di a la sabiduría: Tú eres mi hermana, y llama a la inteligencia tu mejor amiga,

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

para que te guarden de la mujer extraña, de la desconocida que lisonjea con sus palabras.

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

Porque desde la ventana de mi casa miraba por la celosía,

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

y vi entre los simples, distinguí entre los muchachos a un joven falto de juicio,

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

pasando por la calle cerca de su esquina; iba camino de su casa,

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

al atardecer, al anochecer, en medio de la noche y la oscuridad.

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

Y he aquí, una mujer le sale al encuentro, vestida como ramera y astuta de corazón.

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

Es alborotadora y rebelde, sus pies no permanecen en casa;

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

está ya en las calles, ya en las plazas, y acecha por todas las esquinas.

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

Y lo agarra y lo besa, y descarada le dice:

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

Tenía que ofrecer ofrendas de paz, y hoy he cumplido mis votos;

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

por eso he salido a encontrarte, buscando tu rostro con ansiedad, y te he hallado.

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

He tendido mi lecho con colchas, con linos de Egipto en colores;

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

he rociado mi cama con mirra, áloes y canela.

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

Ven, embriaguémonos de amor hasta la mañana, deleitémonos con caricias.

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

Porque mi marido no está en casa, se ha ido a un largo viaje;

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

se ha llevado en la mano la bolsa del dinero, volverá a casa para la luna llena.

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

Con sus palabras persuasivas lo atrae, lo seduce con sus labios lisonjeros.

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

Al instante la sigue, como va el buey al matadero, o como uno en grillos al castigo de un necio,

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.

hasta que una flecha le traspasa el hígado; como el ave que se precipita en la trampa, y no sabe que esto le costará la vida.

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

Ahora pues, hijos míos, escuchadme, y prestad atención a las palabras de mi boca.

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

No se desvíe tu corazón hacia sus caminos, no te extravíes en sus sendas.

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

Porque muchas son las víctimas derribadas por ella, y numerosos los que ha matado.

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

Su casa es el camino al Seol, que desciende a las cámaras de la muerte.