1 M y son! to my wisdom give attention, To mine understanding incline thine ear,

My son, listen to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding.

2 T o observe thoughtfulness, And knowledge do thy lips keep.

So you may know what is good thinking, and your lips may keep much learning.

3 F or the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And smoother than oil her mouth,

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

4 A nd her latter end bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a sword mouths.

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

5 H er feet are going down to death, Sheol do her steps take hold of.

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

6 T he path of life -- lest thou ponder, Moved have her paths -- thou knowest not.

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

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

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

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

Keep far away from her. Do not go near the door of her house.

9 L est thou give to others thy honour, And thy years to the fierce,

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

10 L est strangers be filled thy power, And thy labours in the house of a stranger,

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

11 A nd thou hast howled in thy latter end, In the consumption of thy flesh and thy food,

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

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

You would say, “How I have hated teaching! My heart hated strong words!

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

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

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

Now I have a bad name in the meeting place of the people.”

15 D rink waters out of thine own cistern, Even flowing ones out of thine own well.

Drink water from your own pool, flowing water from your own well.

16 L et thy fountains be scattered abroad, In broad places rivulets of waters.

Should the waters from your well flow away, rivers of water in the streets?

17 L et them be to thee for thyself, And not to strangers with thee.

Let them be yours alone, and not for strangers with you.

18 L et thy fountain be blessed, And rejoice because of the wife of thy youth,

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

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

Let 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.

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

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

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

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

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

His own sins will trap the sinful. He will be held with the ropes of his sin.

23 H e dieth without instruction, And in the abundance of his folly magnifieth himself!

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