7 My
son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 2 Keep
my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. 3 Bind
them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. 4 Say
unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: 5 That
they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth
with her words. 6 For
at the window of my house I looked through my casement, 7 And
beheld 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, in the black and dark night: 10 And,
behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil
of heart. 11 (She
is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: 12 Now
is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) 13 So
she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14
I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. 15 Therefore
came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found
thee. 16 I have
decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen
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 goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: 20 He
hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. 21 With
her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her
lips she forced him. 22 He
goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool
to the correction of the stocks; 23 Till
a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth
not that it is for his life. 24 Hearken
unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. 25 Let
not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. 26 For
she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by
her. 27 Her
house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.