[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 out 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. Today 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 army. [27] Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the rooms of death.
