Proverbs

My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

1My son, keep my words. Store up my commands inside you.

2Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

2Keep my commands and you will live. Guard my teaching as you would guard your own eyes.

3Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.

3Tie them on your fingers so you see them. Write them on your heart.

4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:

4Say to wisdom, "You are my sister." Call understanding your close relative.

5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

5Then they will keep you away from another man's wife, from the stranger whose words flatter you.

6For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

6I was at the window of my house, looking out through the wooden slats.

7And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

7Among the young men who knew very little, I noticed one with no sense at all.

8Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

8He crossed the street near her corner. He was walking down the road toward her house,

9In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

9at twilight, as evening came on, when the day faded into full dark.

10And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

10A woman came out to meet him. She was dressed like a prostitute, and her heart was full of tricks.

11(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

11She is loud, and she will not be told anything. Her feet do not stay home.

12Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

12One moment she is outside, the next she is in the streets, waiting at every corner.

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

13She grabbed him and kissed him. With a bold face, she said to him:

14I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

14"I had fellowship offerings to bring, and today I paid what I promised God.

NoteA peace offering, or fellowship offering, was an animal given at the temple. Part of the meat was cooked and eaten the same day, so she is saying there is a feast waiting at her house.

15Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

15So I came out to meet you. I looked for your face, and I have found you.

16I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

16I have spread my bed with colored covers, with fine linen from Egypt.

17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

18Come, let us have our fill of love until morning. Let us enjoy each other.

19For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

19My husband is not at home. He has gone away on a long trip.

20He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

20He took a bag of money with him. He will not be home until the moon is full."

Note"The day appointed" means the full moon. She is telling him her husband will be gone for weeks.

21With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

21Her smooth talk won him over. Her flattering words pulled him along.

22He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

22He followed her at once, like an ox walking to be killed, like a fool marched off to be punished.

NoteThe stocks were a heavy wooden frame that locked a person's feet or hands in place while people watched. Being put in them was a punishment.

23Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

23He goes until an arrow cuts through his liver. He is like a bird flying into a net, not knowing it will cost his life.

24Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

24So listen to me now, my sons. Pay attention to the words I speak.

25Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

25Do not let your heart turn toward her ways. Do not wander onto her paths.

26For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

26She has brought many men down wounded. Many strong men have been killed by her.

27Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

27Her house is the road to the place of the dead. It goes down to the rooms of death.

Note"Hell" here translates the Hebrew word Sheol, which means the place of the dead, or the grave.