1 My son, hold on to my words and lay up my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and live, and keep my teaching like the pupil of your eye.
3 Tie them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Call wisdom, "My sister," and name understanding your kinswoman,
5 so that they may guard you from the strange woman, from the foreigner with her smooth words.
6 For at the window of my house, through my lattice, I looked down,
7 and among the simple, among the young men, I caught sight of a youth with no sense,
8 crossing the street near her corner and heading along the road to her house,
9 at dusk, in the evening of the day, in the black of night and the darkness.
10 And see, a woman comes out to meet him, in a harlot's attire, with a guarded heart.
11 She is noisy and defiant; her feet never stay at home.
12 One moment in the street, the next in the squares, she lurks by every corner.
13 She takes hold of him and kisses him, and with a bold face she tells him,
14 "Peace offerings were due from me; today I have fulfilled my vows.
15 That is why I came out to meet you, looking eagerly for your face, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with coverlets, with striped cloth of Egyptian linen.
17 I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us drink our fill of love till morning; let us enjoy ourselves with lovemaking.
19 For the man is not at home; he has gone on a distant journey.
20 He took the bag of silver with him; he will not be home until the full moon."
21 She sways him with her many persuasions; with her smooth lips she compels him.
22 All at once he follows her, like an ox going to slaughter, or as one in fetters to the correction of a fool,
23 until an arrow splits his liver; like a bird rushing into a snare, he does not know it will cost him his life.
24 So now, sons, hear me, and attend to the sayings of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart veer off into her ways; do not wander onto her paths.
26 For many are the wounded she has laid low, and mighty are all whom she has slain.
27 Her house is the road to Sheol, leading down to the rooms of death.