1 My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.

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

3 Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.

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

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

6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;

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

8 Passing through the street near her corner; And 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 And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.

11 She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:

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

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

14 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 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 us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.

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

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

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

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

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

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

25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.

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

27 Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.