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

My son! keep my sayings, And my commands lay up with thee.

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

Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of thine eye.

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

Bind them on thy fingers, Write them on the tablet of thy heart.

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

Say to wisdom, `My sister Thou.' And cry to understanding, `Kinswoman!'

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

To preserve thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.

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

For, at a window of my house, Through my casement I have looked out,

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

And I do see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,

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

Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way her house he doth step,

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

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

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, lo, a woman to meet him -- (A harlot's dress, and watchful of heart,

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

Noisy she, and stubborn, In her house her feet rest not.

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 in an out-place, now in broad places, And near every corner she lieth in wait) --

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

And she laid hold on him, and kissed him, She hath hardened her face, and saith to 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 by me, To-day I have completed my vows.

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

Therefore I have come forth to meet thee, To seek earnestly thy face, and I find thee.

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

ornamental coverings I decked my couch, Carved works -- cotton of Egypt.

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

I sprinkled my bed -- myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

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

Come, we are filled loves till the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.

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

For the man is not in his house, He hath gone on a long journey.

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

A bag of money he hath taken in his hand, At the day of the new moon he cometh to his house.'

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

She turneth him aside with the abundance of her speech, With the flattery of her lips she forceth him.

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

He is going after her straightway, As an ox unto the slaughter he cometh, And as a fetter unto the chastisement of a 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 doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it for its life.

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

And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And give attention to sayings 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 turn unto her ways, Do not wander in her paths,

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

For many the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty all her slain ones.

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

The ways of Sheol -- her house, Going down unto inner chambers of death!