^{1 Ref} My son, give attention to my wisdom; let your ear be turned to my teaching:

^{2 Ref} So that you may be ruled by a wise purpose, and your lips may keep knowledge.

^{3 Ref} For honey is dropping from the lips of the strange woman, and her mouth is smoother than oil;

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

^{5 Ref} Her feet go down to death, and her steps to the underworld;

^{6 Ref} She never keeps her mind on the road of life; her ways are uncertain, she has no knowledge.

^{7 Ref} Give ear to me then, my sons, and do not put away my words from you.

^{8 Ref} Go far away from her, do not come near the door of her house;

^{9 Ref} For fear that you may give your honour to others, and your wealth to strange men:

^{10 Ref} And strange men may be full of your wealth, and the fruit of your work go to the house of others;

^{11 Ref} And you will be full of grief at the end of your life, when your flesh and your body are wasted;

^{12 Ref} And you will say, How was teaching hated by me, and my heart put no value on training;

^{13 Ref} I did not give attention to the voice of my teachers, my ear was not turned to those who were guiding me!

^{14 Ref} I was in almost all evil in the company of the people.

^{15 Ref} Let water from your store and not that of others be your drink, and running water from your fountain.

^{16 Ref} Let not your springs be flowing in the streets, or your streams of water in the open places.

¹⁷ Let them be for yourself only, not for other men with you.

^{18 Ref} Let blessing be on your fountain; have joy in the wife of your early years.

^{19 Ref} As a loving hind and a gentle doe, let her breasts ever give you rapture; let your passion at all times be moved by her love.

^{20 Ref} Why let yourself, my son, go out of the way with a strange woman, and take another woman in your arms?

^{21 Ref} For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he puts all his goings in the scales.

^{22 Ref} The evil-doer will be taken in the net of his crimes, and prisoned in the cords of his sin.

^{23 Ref} He will come to his end for need of teaching; he is so foolish that he will go wandering from the right way.

^{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, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding:

^{2 Ref} That you may maintain discretion, That your lips may preserve knowledge.

^{3 Ref} For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,

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

^{5 Ref} Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to Sheol.

^{6 Ref} She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she doesn't know it.

^{7 Ref} Now therefore, my sons, listen to me. Don't depart from the words of my mouth.

^{8 Ref} Remove your way far from her. Don't come near the door of her house,

^{9 Ref} Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one;

^{10 Ref} Lest strangers feast on your wealth, And your labors enrich another man's house.

^{11 Ref} You will groan at your latter end, When your flesh and your body are consumed,

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

^{13 Ref} Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!

^{14 Ref} I have come to the brink of utter ruin, In the midst of the gathered assembly."

^{15 Ref} Drink water out of your own cistern, Running water out of your own well.

^{16 Ref} Should your springs overflow in the streets, Streams of water in the public squares?

¹⁷ Let them be for yourself alone, Not for strangers with you.

^{18 Ref} Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

^{19 Ref} A loving doe and a graceful deer-- Let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love.

^{20 Ref} For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another?

^{21 Ref} For the ways of man are before the eyes of Yahweh. He examines all his paths.

^{22 Ref} The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly.

^{23 Ref} He will die for lack of instruction. In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.