1My son, keep my words, And treasure up my commandments with thee!

2Keep my commandments and live! Yea, my teaching, as the apple of thine eye!

3Bind them upon thy fingers, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart!

4Say unto wisdom, “Thou art my sister!” And call understanding thy near acquaintance;

5That they may keep thee from the wife of another, From the stranger, that useth smooth words.

6For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth,

7And I saw among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding.

8He was passing through the street near her corner, And was going the way to her house,

9At twilight, in the evening, At midnight, yea, in the thick darkness.

10And, behold, a woman met him, In the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart,—

11One noisy and unruly, Whose feet abide not in her house;

12Who is now in the streets, now in the broad places, And lurketh near every corner.

13She caught hold of him and kissed him, And with a shameless face said to him,

14“Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed my vows;

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

16I have spread my bed with coverlets, With tapestry of the thread of Egypt.

17I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

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

19For the good-man is not at home; He is gone a long journey;

20He hath taken a purse of money with him; At the day of the full moon he will return.”

21By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away.

22He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the chastisement of the fool,

23Till an arrow strike through his liver;—As a bird hasteneth into the snare, And knoweth not that it is laid for its life.

24Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me, And attend to the words of my mouth!

25Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways; Go not astray in her paths!

26For many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her.

27Her house is the way to the under-world, Leading down to the chambers of death.