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

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

3. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.

4. Say to wisdom, You are my sister; And call understanding [your] kinswoman:

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. And 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; 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, look, there met him a woman With the attire of a prostitute, and wily of heart.

11. She is clamorous and willful; Her feet do not stay in her house:

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

13. So she caught him, and kissed him, [And] 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 forth to meet you, Diligently to 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 us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.

19. For the man is not 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 her much fair speech she causes him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forces him along.

22. He goes after her right away, As an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as [one in] fetters to the correction of the fool;

23. Until an arrow strikes through his liver; As a bird hurries to the snare, And does not know that it is for his life.

24. Now therefore, [my] sons, listen to me, And attend to the words of my mouth.

25. Don't let your heart decline to her ways; Don't go astray in her paths.

26. For she has cast 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.