American Standard Version ASV
Holman Christian Standard Bible CSB
1 My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.
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My son, obey my words, and treasure my commands.
2 Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.
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Keep my commands and live; protect my teachings as you would the pupil of your eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
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Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding [thy] kinswoman:
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Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call understanding [your] relative.
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From he foreigner that flattereth with her words.
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She will keep you from a forbidden woman, a stranger with her flattering talk.
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
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At the window of my house I looked through my lattice.
7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,
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I saw among the inexperienced, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking sense.
8 Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,
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Crossing the street near her corner, he strolled down the road to her house
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
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at twilight, in the evening, in the dark of the night.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
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A woman came to meet him, dressed like a prostitute, having a hidden agenda.
11 She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:
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She is loud and defiant; her feet do not stay at home.
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.
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Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, [And] with an impudent face she said unto him:
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She grabs him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him,
14 Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.
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"I've made fellowship offerings; today I've fulfilled my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
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So I came out to meet you, to search for you, and I've found you.
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
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I've spread coverings on my bed- richly colored linen from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
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I've 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.
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Come, let's drink deeply of lovemaking until morning. Let's feast on each other's love!
19 For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:
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My husband isn't home; he went on a long journey.
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.
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He took a bag of money with him and will come home at the time of the full moon."
21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
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She seduces him with her persistent pleading; she lures with her flattering talk.
22 He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as [one in] fetters to the correction of the fool;
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He follows her impulsively like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding toward a trap
23 Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.
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until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird darting into a snare- he doesn't know it will cost him his life.
24 Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.
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Now, [my] sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.
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Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways; don't stray onto her paths.
26 For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
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For she has brought many down to death; her victims are countless.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.
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Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.