The Foolishness of Unfaithfulness
1 My son, pay close attention
and don't forget
what I tell you to do.
2 Obey me, and you will live!
Let my instructions be
your greatest treasure.
3 Keep them at your fingertips
and write them
in your mind.
4 Let wisdom be your sister
and make common sense
your closest friend.
5 They will protect you
from the flattering words
of someone else's wife.
6 From the window of my house,
I once happened to see
7 some foolish young men.
8 It was late in the evening,
sometime after dark.
9 One of these young men
turned the corner
and was walking by the house
of an unfaithful wife.
10 She was dressed fancy
like a woman of the street
with only one thing in mind.
11 She was one of those women
who are loud and restless
and never stay at home,
12 who walk street after street,
waiting to trap a man.
13 She grabbed him and kissed him,
and with no sense of shame,
she said:
14 “I had to offer a sacrifice,
and there is enough meat
left over for a feast.
15 So I came looking for you,
and here you are!
16 The sheets on my bed
are bright-colored cloth
from Egypt.
17 And I have covered it
with perfume made of myrrh,
aloes, and cinnamon.
18 “Let's go there
and make love all night.
19 My husband is traveling,
and he's far away.
20 He took a lot of money along,
and he won't be back home
before the middle
of the month.”
21 And so, she tricked him
with all of her sweet talk
and her flattery.
22 At once he followed her
like an ox on the way
to be slaughtered,
or like a fool on the way
to be punished
23 and killed with arrows.
He was no more than a bird
rushing into a trap,
without knowing
it would cost him his life.
24 My son, pay close attention
to what I have said.
25 Don't even think about
that kind of woman
or let yourself be misled
by someone like her.
26 Such a woman has caused
the downfall and destruction
of a lot of men.
27 Her house is a one-way street
leading straight down
to the world of the dead.
1 My sonne, keepe my wordes, and hide my commandements with thee. 2 Keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue, and mine instruction as the apple of thine eyes. 3 Binde them vpon thy fingers, and write them vpon the table of thine heart. 4 Say vnto wisedome, Thou art my sister: and call vnderstanding thy kinswoman, 5 That they may keepe thee from the strange woman, euen from the stranger that is smoothe in her wordes. 6 As I was in the window of mine house, I looked through my windowe, 7 And I sawe among the fooles, and considered among the children a yong man destitute of vnderstanding, 8 Who passed through the streete by her corner, and went toward her house, 9 In the twilight in the euening, when the night began to be blacke and darke. 10 And beholde, there met him a woman with an harlots behauiour, and subtill in heart. 11 (She is babling and loud: whose feete can not abide in her house. 12 Nowe she is without, nowe in the streetes, and lyeth in waite at euery corner) 13 So she caught him and kissed him and with an impudent face said vnto him, 14 I haue peace offerings: this day haue I payed my vowes. 15 Therefore came I forth to meete thee, that I might seeke thy face: and I haue found thee. 16 I haue deckt my bed with ornaments, carpets and laces of Egypt. 17 I haue perfumed my bedde with myrrhe, aloes, and cynamom. 18 Come, let vs take our fill of loue vntill the morning: let vs take our pleasure in daliance. 19 For mine husband is not at home: he is gone a iourney farre off. 20 He hath taken with him a bagge of siluer, and will come home at the day appointed. 21 Thus with her great craft she caused him to yeelde, and with her flattering lips she entised him. 22 And he followed her straight wayes, as an oxe that goeth to the slaughter, and as a foole to the stockes for correction, 23 Till a dart strike through his liuer, as a bird hasteth to the snare, not knowing that he is in danger. 24 Heare me now therefore, O children, and hearken to the wordes of my mouth. 25 Let not thine heart decline to her wayes: wander thou not in her paths. 26 For shee hath caused many to fall downe wounded, and the strong men are all slaine by her. 27 Her house is the way vnto ye graue, which goeth downe to the chambers of death.