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