7 My son, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments [for use when needed] and treasure them.

² Keep my commandments and live, and keep my law and teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye.

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

⁴ Say to skillful and godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend—

⁵ That they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adventuress who flatters with and makes smooth her words.

⁶ For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice.

⁷ And among the simple (empty-headed and emptyhearted) ones, I perceived among the youths a young man void of good sense,

⁸ Sauntering through the street near the [loose woman’s] corner; and he went the way to her house

⁹ In the twilight, in the evening; night black and dense was falling [over the young man’s life].

¹⁰ And behold, there met him a woman, dressed as a harlot and sly and cunning of heart.

¹¹ She is turbulent and willful; her feet stay not in her house;

¹² Now in the streets, now in the marketplaces, she sets her ambush at every corner.

¹³ So she caught him and kissed him and with impudent face she said to him,

¹⁴ Sacrifices of peace offerings were due from me; this day I paid my vows.

¹⁵ So I came forth to meet you [that you might share with me the feast from my offering]; diligently I sought your face, and I have found you.

¹⁶ I have spread my couch with rugs and cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of 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 morning; let us console and delight ourselves with love.

¹⁹ For the man is not at home; he is gone on a long journey;

²⁰ He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed [at the full moon].

²¹ With much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him [to overcome his conscience and his fears] and forces him along.

²² Suddenly he [yields and] follows her reluctantly like an ox moving to the slaughter, like one in fetters going to the correction [to be given] to a fool or ^[a]like a dog enticed by food to the muzzle

²³ Till a dart [of passion] pierces and inflames his vitals; then like a bird fluttering straight into the net [he hastens], not knowing that it will cost him his life.

²⁴ Listen to me now therefore, O you sons, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

²⁵ Let not your heart incline toward her ways, do not stray into her paths.

²⁶ For she has cast down many wounded; indeed, all her slain are a mighty host.^(A)

²⁷ Her house is the way to Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead), going down to the chambers of death.