^{1 Ref} My son! keep my sayings, And my commands lay up with thee.

^{2 Ref} Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of thine eye.

^{3 Ref} Bind them on thy fingers, Write them on the tablet of thy heart.

^{4 Ref} Say to wisdom, `My sister Thou `art'.' And cry to understanding, `Kinswoman!'

^{5 Ref} To preserve thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.

^{6 Ref} For, at a window of my house, Through my casement I have looked out,

^{7 Ref} And I do see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,

^{8 Ref} Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way `to' her house he doth step,

^{9 Ref} In the twilight -- in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.

^{10 Ref} And, lo, a woman to meet him -- (A harlot's dress, and watchful of heart,

^{11 Ref} Noisy she `is', and stubborn, In her house her feet rest not.

^{12 Ref} Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And near every corner she lieth in wait) --

^{13 Ref} And she laid hold on him, and kissed him, She hath hardened her face, and saith to him,

^{14 Ref} `Sacrifices of peace-offerings `are' by me, To-day I have completed my vows.

¹⁵ Therefore I have come forth to meet thee, To seek earnestly thy face, and I find thee.

^{16 Ref} `With' ornamental coverings I decked my couch, Carved works -- cotton of Egypt.

^{17 Ref} I sprinkled my bed -- myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

¹⁸ Come, we are filled `with' loves till the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.

^{19 Ref} For the man is not in his house, He hath gone on a long journey.

^{20 Ref} A bag of money he hath taken in his hand, At the day of the new moon he cometh to his house.'

^{21 Ref} She turneth him aside with the abundance of her speech, With the flattery of her lips she forceth him.

^{22 Ref} 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 Ref} Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it `is' for its life.

^{24 Ref} And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.

^{25 Ref} Let not thy heart turn unto her ways, Do not wander in her paths,

^{26 Ref} For many `are' the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty `are' all her slain ones.

^{27 Ref} The ways of Sheol -- her house, Going down unto inner chambers of death!

^{1 Ref} My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.

^{2 Ref} Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;

^{3 Ref} Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.

^{4 Ref} Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:

^{5 Ref} So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.

^{6 Ref} Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,

^{7 Ref} I saw among the young men one without sense,

^{8 Ref} Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,

^{9 Ref} At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.

^{10 Ref} And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;

^{11 Ref} She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.

^{12 Ref} Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.

^{13 Ref} So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:

^{14 Ref} I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.

¹⁵ So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.

^{16 Ref} My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;

^{17 Ref} I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.

¹⁸ Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.

^{19 Ref} For the master of the house is away on a long journey:

^{20 Ref} He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.

^{21 Ref} With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.

^{22 Ref} The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;

^{23 Ref} Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.

^{24 Ref} So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;

^{25 Ref} Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.

^{26 Ref} For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.

^{27 Ref} Her house is the way to the underworld, going down to the rooms of death.

^{1 Ref} My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.

^{2 Ref} Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.

^{3 Ref} Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.

^{4 Ref} Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding `thy' kinswoman:

^{5 Ref} That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.

^{6 Ref} For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;

^{7 Ref} And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,

^{8 Ref} Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,

^{9 Ref} In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.

^{10 Ref} And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.

^{11 Ref} She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:

^{12 Ref} Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.

^{13 Ref} So she caught him, and kissed him, `And' with an impudent face she said unto him:

^{14 Ref} Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.

¹⁵ Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

^{16 Ref} I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.

^{17 Ref} I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

¹⁸ Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.

^{19 Ref} For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:

^{20 Ref} He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.

^{21 Ref} With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.

^{22 Ref} He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as `one in' fetters to the correction of the fool;

^{23 Ref} Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.

^{24 Ref} Now therefore, `my' sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.

^{25 Ref} Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.

^{26 Ref} For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.

^{27 Ref} Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.