My son,
keep
my words,
and lay up
my commandments
with thee.
Keep
my commandments,
and live;
and my law
as the apple
of thine eye.
Bind
them upon thy fingers,
write
them upon the table
of thine heart.
Say
unto wisdom,
Thou art my sister;
and call
understanding
thy kinswoman:
That they may keep
thee from the strange
woman,
from the stranger
which flattereth
with her words.
For at the window
of my house
I looked
through my casement,
And beheld
among the simple ones,
I discerned
among the youths,
a young man
void
of understanding,
Passing through
the street
near
her corner;
and he went
the way
to her house,
In the twilight,
in the evening,
in the black
and dark
night:
And, behold, there met
him a woman
with the attire
of an harlot,
and subtil
of heart.
(She is loud
and stubborn;
her feet
abide
not in her house:
Now
is she without,
now
in the streets,
and lieth in wait
at
every corner.
)
So she caught
him, and kissed
him, and with an impudent
face
said
unto him,
I have peace
offerings
with me; this day
have I payed
my vows.
Therefore came I forth
to meet
thee, diligently to seek
thy face,
and I have found
thee.
I have decked
my bed
with coverings
of tapestry, with carved
works, with fine linen
of Egypt.
I have perfumed
my bed
with myrrh,
aloes,
and cinnamon.
Come,
let us take our fill
of love
until the morning:
let us solace
ourselves with loves.
For the goodman
is not at home,
he is gone
a long
journey:
He hath taken
a bag
of money
with him,
and will come
home
at the day
appointed.
With her much
fair speech
she caused him to yield,
with the flattering
of her lips
she forced
him.
He goeth
after
her straightway,
as an ox
goeth
to the slaughter,
or as a fool
to the correction
of the stocks;
Till a dart
strike
through his liver;
as a bird
hasteth
to the snare,
and knoweth
not that it is for his life.
Hearken
unto me now therefore, O ye children,
and attend
to the words
of my mouth.
Let not thine heart
decline
to her ways,
go not astray
in her paths.
For she hath cast down
many
wounded:
yea, many strong
men have been slain
by her.
Her house
is the way
to hell,
going down
to the chambers
of death.
