1 My son, keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you. | |
2 Keep my commandments and live,
And mya Or lawteaching as theb Lit pupilapple of your eye. | |
3 Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart. | |
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend; | |
5 That they may keep you from anc Lit strange womanadulteress,
From the foreigner whod Lit is smoothflatters with her words. | |
6 For at the window of my house
I looked out through my lattice, | |
7 And I saw among thee Lit simple onesnaive,
And discerned among thef Lit sonsyouths
A young man lackingg Lit heartsense, | |
8 Passing through the street near her corner;
And heh Lit stepstakes the way to her house, | |
9 In the twilight, in thei Lit evening of the dayevening,
In thej Lit pupil (of the eye)middle of the night and in the darkness. | |
10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him,
Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart. | |
11 She is boisterous and rebellious,
Her feet do not remain at home; | |
12 She is now in the streets, now in the squares,
And lurks by every corner. | |
13 So she seizes him and kisses him
k Lit She makes bold her face and saysAnd with a brazen face she says to him: | |
14 “l Lit Sacrifices of peace offerings are with meI was due to offer peace offerings;
Today I have paid my vows. | |
15 “Therefore I have come out to meet you,
To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you. | |
16 “I have spread my couch with coverings,
With colored linens of Egypt. | |
17 “I have sprinkled my bed
With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. | |
18 “Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with caresses. | |
19 “Form Lit the manmy husband is not at home,
He has gone on a long journey; | |
20 He has taken a bag of moneyn Lit in his handwith him,
At the full moon he will come home.” | |
21 With her many persuasions she entices him;
With hero Lit smoothflattering lips she seduces him. | |
22 Suddenly he follows her
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or asp Or as a stag goes into a trap; so some ancient versionsone in fetters to the discipline of a fool, | |
23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
As a bird hastens to the snare,
So he does not know that it will cost him his life. | |
24 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth. | |
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths. | |
26 For many are theq Lit mortally woundedvictims she has cast down,
And numerous are all her slain. | |
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death. | |
