Warning Against the Adulteress
aMy son, keep my words
and atreasure up my commandments with you;
2 akeep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as bthe apple of your eye;
3 abind them on your fingers;
awrite them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,
5 to keep you from athe forbidden woman,
from athe adulteress with her smooth words.
6 For at athe window of my house
I have looked out through my lattice,
7 and I have seen among athe simple,
I have perceived among the youths,
a young man blacking sense,
8 passing along the street anear her corner,
taking the road to her house
9 in athe twilight, in the evening,
at bthe time of night and darkness.
10 And behold, the woman meets him,
adressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.
11 She is aloud and bwayward;
cher feet do not stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the market,
and aat every corner she blies in wait.
13 She seizes him and kisses him,
and with abold face she says to him,
14 “I had to aoffer sacrifices,
and today I have bpaid my vows;
15 so now I have come out to meet you,
to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with acoverings,
colored linens from bEgyptian linen;
17 I have perfumed my bed with amyrrh,
aloes, and bcinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For amy husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey;
20 he took a bag of money with him;
at full moon he will come home.”
21 With much seductive speech she persuades him;
with aher smooth talk she compels him.
22 All at once he follows her,
as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast
23 till an arrow pierces its liver;
as aa bird rushes into a snare;
he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24 And anow, O sons, listen to me,
and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her paths,
26 for many a victim has she laid low,
and all her slain are aa mighty throng.
27 Her house is athe way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.