1 M y son, listen to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding.

My son! to my wisdom give attention, To mine understanding incline thine ear,

2 S o you may know what is good thinking, and your lips may keep much learning.

To observe thoughtfulness, And knowledge do thy lips keep.

3 F or the lips of a strange woman are as sweet as honey. Her talk is as smooth as oil.

For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And smoother than oil her mouth,

4 B ut in the end she is as bitter tasting as wormwood, and as sharp as a sword that cuts both ways.

And her latter end bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a sword mouths.

5 H er feet go down to death. Her steps take hold of hell.

Her feet are going down to death, Sheol do her steps take hold of.

6 S he does not think about the path of life. Her ways go this way and that, and she does not know it.

The path of life -- lest thou ponder, Moved have her paths -- thou knowest not.

7 N ow then, my sons, listen to me. Do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And turn not from sayings of my mouth.

8 K eep far away from her. Do not go near the door of her house.

Keep far from off her thy way, And come not near unto the opening of her house,

9 I f you do, you would give your strength to others, and your years to those without loving-kindness.

Lest thou give to others thy honour, And thy years to the fierce,

10 S trangers would be filled with your strength, and the fruits of your work would go to a strange house.

Lest strangers be filled thy power, And thy labours in the house of a stranger,

11 Y ou would cry inside yourself when your end comes, when your flesh and body are wasted away.

And thou hast howled in thy latter end, In the consumption of thy flesh and thy food,

12 Y ou would say, “How I have hated teaching! My heart hated strong words!

And hast said, `How have I hated instruction, And reproof hath my heart despised,

13 I have not listened to the voice of my teachers. I have not turned my ear to those who would teach me.

And I have not hearkened to the voice of my directors, And to my teachers have not inclined mine ear.

14 N ow I have a bad name in the meeting place of the people.”

As a little thing I have been all evil, In the midst of an assembly and a company.

15 D rink water from your own pool, flowing water from your own well.

Drink waters out of thine own cistern, Even flowing ones out of thine own well.

16 S hould the waters from your well flow away, rivers of water in the streets?

Let thy fountains be scattered abroad, In broad places rivulets of waters.

17 L et them be yours alone, and not for strangers with you.

Let them be to thee for thyself, And not to strangers with thee.

18 L et your well be honored, and be happy with the wife you married when you were young.

Let thy fountain be blessed, And rejoice because of the wife of thy youth,

19 L et her be like a loving, female deer. Let her breasts please you at all times. Be filled with great joy always because of her love.

A hind of loves, and a roe of grace! Let her loves satisfy thee at all times, In her love magnify thyself continually.

20 M y son, why should you be carried away with a sinful woman and fall into the arms of a strange woman?

And why dost thou magnify thyself, My son, with a stranger? And embrace the bosom of a strange woman?

21 F or the ways of a man are seen by the eyes of the Lord, and He watches all his paths.

For over-against the eyes of Jehovah are the ways of each, And all his paths He is pondering.

22 H is own sins will trap the sinful. He will be held with the ropes of his sin.

His own iniquities do capture the wicked, And with the ropes of his sin he is holden.

23 H e will die for want of teaching, and will go the wrong way because of the greatness of his foolish ways.

He dieth without instruction, And in the abundance of his folly magnifieth himself!