1: My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you. 2: Keep my commandments and live; Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye. 3: Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4: Tell wisdom, "You are my sister." Call understanding your relative, 5: That they may keep you from the strange woman, From the foreigner who flatters with her words. 6: For at the window of my house, I looked forth through my lattice. 7: I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding, 8: Passing through the street near her corner, He went the way to her house, 9: In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness. 10: Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, And with crafty intent. 11: She is loud and defiant. Her feet don't stay in her house. 12: Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, And lurking at every corner. 13: So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him: 14: "Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me. This day I have paid my vows. 15: Therefore I came out to meet you, To diligently seek your face, And I have found you. 16: I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt. 17: I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18: Come, let's take our fill of loving until the morning. Let's solace ourselves with loving. 19: For my husband isn't at home. He has gone on a long journey. 20: He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon." 21: With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him. 22: He followed her immediately, As an ox goes to the slaughter, As a fool stepping into a noose. 23: Until an arrow strikes through his liver, As a bird hurries to the snare, And doesn't know that it will cost his life. 24: Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth. 25: Don't let your heart turn to her ways. Don't go astray in her paths, 26: For she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty host. 27: Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.
