^{1 Ref} My son, attend unto my wisdom; Incline thine ear to my understanding:

^{2 Ref} That thou mayest preserve discretion, And that thy lips may keep knowledge.

^{3 Ref} For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil:

^{4 Ref} But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.

^{5 Ref} Her feet go down to death; Her steps take hold on Sheol;

^{6 Ref} So that she findeth not the level path of life: Her ways are unstable, `and' she knoweth `it' not.

^{7 Ref} Now therefore, `my' sons, hearken unto me, And depart not from the words of my mouth.

^{8 Ref} Remove thy way far from her, And come not nigh the door of her house;

^{9 Ref} Lest thou give thine honor unto others, And thy years unto the cruel;

^{10 Ref} Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, And thy labors `be' in the house of an alien,

^{11 Ref} And thou mourn at thy latter end, When thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

^{12 Ref} And say, How have I hated instruction, And my heart despised reproof;

^{13 Ref} Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

^{14 Ref} I was well-nigh in all evil In the midst of the assembly and congregation.

^{15 Ref} Drink waters out of thine own cistern, And running waters out of thine own well.

^{16 Ref} Should thy springs be dispersed abroad, And streams of water in the streets?

¹⁷ Let them be for thyself alone, And not for strangers with thee.

^{18 Ref} Let thy fountain be blessed; And rejoice in the wife of thy youth.

^{19 Ref} `As' a loving hind and a pleasant doe, Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; And be thou ravished always with her love.

^{20 Ref} For why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

^{21 Ref} For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah; And he maketh level all his paths.

^{22 Ref} His own iniquities shall take the wicked, And he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.

^{23 Ref} He shall die for lack of instruction; And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

^{1 Ref} My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

^{2 Ref} That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

^{3 Ref} For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

^{4 Ref} But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

^{5 Ref} Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

^{6 Ref} Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

^{7 Ref} Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

^{8 Ref} Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

^{9 Ref} Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

^{10 Ref} Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

^{11 Ref} And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

^{12 Ref} And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

^{13 Ref} And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

^{14 Ref} I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

^{15 Ref} Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

^{16 Ref} Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

¹⁷ Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

^{18 Ref} Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

^{19 Ref} Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

^{20 Ref} And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

^{21 Ref} For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

^{22 Ref} His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

^{23 Ref} He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.