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

My son, keep my words, and hold together my teachings within you.

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

Keep my words and live. Keep my teachings as you would your own eye.

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

Tie them upon your fingers. Write them upon your heart.

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

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your special friend.

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

They will keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger with her smooth words.

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

For I looked out through the wood-work at the window of my house.

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

And I saw among the child-like and among the young people a young man without wisdom and understanding.

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

He passed through the street near her corner and took the path to her house,

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

in the light of the evening, after it was dark.

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

See, a woman comes to meet him. She is dressed like a woman who sells the use of her body, and with a heart that wants to fool and trap someone.

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

She is loud and has a strong self-will. Her feet do not stay at home.

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

She is now in the street, now in the center of town where people gather. She lies in wait at every corner.

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

So she catches him and kisses him. With a hard face she says to him,

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

“It was time for me to give gifts on the altar in worship, and today I have paid what I promised.

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

So I have come out to meet you, to look for you, and I have found you.

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

I have spread my bed with coverings of linen cloth from Egypt.

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

I have perfumed my bed with fine perfumes and spices.

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 make ourselves happy with love.

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

For my husband is not at home. He has gone on a long trip.

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 he will come home at full moon.”

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

She leads him away with her tempting talk. She tempts him with the smooth words of her lips.

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

All at once he follows her, like a bull going to be killed, like a wild animal goes into a trap,

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.

until an arrow cuts through him. Like a bird that hurries into the net, he does not know that he will lose his life.

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

So, my sons, listen to me. Listen to the words of my mouth.

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

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

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

For she has hurt many and destroyed many others. She has killed a great number.

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

Her house is the way to hell, going down to the rooms of death.