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

احفَظْ يا بُنَيَّ كَلِماتِي، وَاحرُسْ وَصايايَ كَكَنْزٍ فِي قَلْبِكَ.

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

احفَظْها فَتَحيا، وَاحرُسْ تَعالِيمِي كَحَدَقَةِ عَينِكَ.

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

اربِطْ وَصايايَ عَلَى أصابِعِكَ، وَاكتُبْها فِي قَلبِكَ.

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

قُلْ لِلحِكمَةِ: «أنتِ شَقِيقَتِي.» وَقُلْ لِلبَصِيرَةِ: «أنْتِ صَدِيقَتِي.»

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

فَيَحفَظاكَ مِنَ المَرأةِ الَّتِي خانَتْ زَوجَها، وَمِنَ لِسانِ الزّانِيَةِ المَعسُولِ.

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

فَإنِّي نَظَرْتُ مِنْ نافِذَةِ بَيتِي، مِنْ خِلالِ الشُّبّاكِ،

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

فَرَأيتُ بَينَ الفِتيانِ السُّذَّجِ شابّاً فَقَدَ عَقلَهُ تَماماً.

8 H e passed through the street near her corner and took the path to her house,

كانَ يَمشِي فِي الشّارِعِ قُربَ بَيتِها، بَلْ يَتَّجِهُ إلَيهِ

9 i n the light of the evening, after it was dark.

فِي وَقتِ الغُرُوبِ، وَفِي المَساءِ، وَعِندَ حُلُولِ الظَّلامِ.

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.

فَظَهَرَتْ فَجأةً امْرأةٌ تَقتَرِبُ مِنهُ في ثِيابِ عاهِرَةٍ، وَقَلبٍ ماكِرٍ.

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

هِيَ امرَأةٌ صاخِبَةٌ مُتَمَرِّدَةٌ، لا تَستَقِرُّ فِي بَيتِها.

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

تَراها في الشَّوارِعِ وَفِي السّاحاتِ، وَفِي كُلِّ زاوِيَةٍ تَتَرَقَّبُ صَيداً.

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

فَأمسَكَتْهُ وَقَبَّلَتْهُ، وَقالَتْ لَهُ بِقِلَّةِ حَياءٍ:

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

«قَدَّمْتُ ذَبائِحَ السَّلامِ وَالشُّكْرِ، وَأوفَيتُ اليَومَ بِنُذُورِي.

15 S o I have come out to meet you, to look for you, and I have found you.

ثًمَّ جِئْتُ أبحَثُ عَنْكَ بِلَهفَةٍ، وَها قَدْ وَجَدتُكَ.

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

قَدْ غَطَّيتُ سَرِيرِي بِالأغطِيَةِ المُلَوَّنَةِ مِنَ الكِتَّانِ المِصْرِيِّ.

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

عَطَّرْتُ فِراشِي بِالمُرِّ وَالصَّبرِ وَالقِرفَةِ.

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

فَتَعالَ لِنَشْرَبْ حُبّاً حَتَّى الصَّباحِ، وَلْنُمَتِّعْ أنفُسَنا بِالغَرامِ.

19 F or my husband is not at home. He has gone on a long trip.

لِأنَّ زَوجِي لَيسَ فِي البَيتِ، فَقَدْ ذَهَبَ فِي رِحلَةٍ طَوِيلَةٍ.

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

أخَذَ مَعَهُ مالاً كَثِيراً، وَلَنْ يَعُودَ قَبلَ مُنتَصَفِ الشَّهِرِ.»

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

أقنَعْتَهُ بِكَثرَةِ كَلامِها المُغرِي، وَبِكَلامِها النّاعِمِ ضَلَّلَتْهُ.

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

فَفِي الحالِ تَبِعَها كَثَورٍ يُؤْخَذُ إلَى الذَّبحِ، وَكَغَزالٍ يَسِيرُ إلَى الفَخِّ،

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.

حَتَّى يَشُقَّ سَهمٌ كَبِدَهُ، وَهُوَ كَطائِرٍ يُسرِعُ إلَى المِصيَدَةِ، وَلا يَعلَمُ أنَّها سَتُكَلِّفُهُ حَياتَهُ.

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

وَالآنَ يا أبنائِي، استَمِعُوا إلَيَّ، وَاصغُوا إلَى كَلامِي.

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

لا تُحَوِّلُوا قُلُوبَكُمْ إلَى طُرُقِها، وَلا تَميلُوا نَحوَ دُرُوبِها.

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

لِأنَّها أسقَطَتِ العَدِيدَ مِنَ الأقوِياءِ، وَضَحاياها كَثِيرُونَ.

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

بَيُتُها يُؤدِّي إلَى الهاوِيَةِ، وَيَنحَدِرُ إلَى حُجُراتِ المَوتِ.