1 M y son, keep my words, and hold together my teachings within you.

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

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

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

3 T ie them upon your fingers. Write them upon your heart.

Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.

4 S ay to wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your special friend.

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

5 T hey will keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger with her smooth words.

That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.

6 F or I looked out through the wood-work at the window of my house.

For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;

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

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

8 H e passed through the street near her corner and 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 light of the evening, after it was dark.

In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.

10 S ee, 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.

And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.

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

She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:

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

Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.

13 S o she catches him and kisses him. With a hard face she says to him,

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

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

Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.

15 S o I have come out to meet you, to look for you, 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 coverings of linen cloth from Egypt.

I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.

17 I have perfumed my bed with fine perfumes and spices.

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

18 C ome, let us take our fill of love until morning. Let us make ourselves happy 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 trip.

For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:

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

He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.

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

With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.

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

He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;

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

Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.

24 S o, my sons, listen to me. Listen to the words of my mouth.

Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.

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

Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.

26 F or she has hurt many and destroyed many others. She has killed a great number.

For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.

27 H er house is the way to hell, going down to the rooms of death.

Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.