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

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

2 K eep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye.

Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

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

Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.

4 S ay to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your nearest kin,

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:

5 T hat they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words. The Crafty Harlot

That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

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

For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

7 A nd saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, A young man devoid of understanding,

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

8 P assing along the street near her corner; And he took the path to her house

Passing 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.

In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

10 A nd there a woman met him, With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.

And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

11 S he was loud and rebellious, Her feet would not stay at home.

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

12 A t times she was outside, at times in the open square, Lurking at every corner.

Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

13 S o she caught him and kissed him; With an impudent face she said to him:

So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

14 “ I have peace offerings with me; Today I have paid my vows.

I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

15 S o I came out to meet you, Diligently to seek your face, And I have found you.

Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

16 I have spread my bed with tapestry, Colored coverings of Egyptian linen.

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.

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

18 C ome, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love.

Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

19 F or my husband is not at home; He has gone on a long journey;

For the goodman 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 on the appointed day.”

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

21 W ith her enticing speech she caused him to yield, With her flattering lips she seduced him.

With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

22 I mmediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,

He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

23 T ill an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life.

Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

24 N ow therefore, listen to me, my children; Pay attention to the words of my mouth:

Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend 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 thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

26 F or she has cast down many wounded, And all who were slain by her were strong men.

For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

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

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