Young's Literal Translation YLT
New International Version NIV
1 My son! keep my sayings, And my commands lay up with thee.
1
My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of thine eye.
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Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on thy fingers, Write them on the tablet of thy heart.
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Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, `My sister Thou [art].' And cry to understanding, `Kinswoman!'
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Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.”
5 To preserve thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.
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They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words.
6 For, at a window of my house, Through my casement I have looked out,
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At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice.
7 And I do see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,
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I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense.
8 Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way [to] her house he doth step,
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He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house
9 In the twilight -- in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.
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at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.
10 And, lo, a woman to meet him -- (A harlot's dress, and watchful of heart,
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Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
11 Noisy she [is], and stubborn, In her house her feet rest not.
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(She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home;
12 Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And near every corner she lieth in wait) --
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now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.)
13 And she laid hold on him, and kissed him, She hath hardened her face, and saith to him,
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She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said:
14 `Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, To-day I have completed my vows.
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“Today I fulfilled my vows, and I have food from my fellowship offering at home.
15 Therefore I have come forth to meet thee, To seek earnestly thy face, and I find thee.
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So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!
16 [With] ornamental coverings I decked my couch, Carved works -- cotton of Egypt.
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I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt.
17 I sprinkled my bed -- myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
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I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, we are filled [with] loves till the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.
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Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love!
19 For the man is not in his house, He hath gone on a long journey.
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My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.
20 A bag of money he hath taken in his hand, At the day of the new moon he cometh to his house.'
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He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.”
21 She turneth him aside with the abundance of her speech, With the flattery of her lips she forceth him.
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With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.
22 He is going after her straightway, As an ox unto the slaughter he cometh, And as a fetter unto the chastisement of a fool,
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All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose
23 Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it [is] for its life.
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till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.
24 And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.
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Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.
25 Let not thy heart turn unto her ways, Do not wander in her paths,
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Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.
26 For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty [are] all her slain ones.
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Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.
27 The ways of Sheol -- her house, Going down unto inner chambers of death!
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Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.