The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
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My child, remember what I say and never forget what I tell you to do.
2 Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;
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Do what I say, and you will live. Be as careful to follow my teaching as you are to protect your eyes.
3 Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
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Keep my teaching with you all the time; write it on your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
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Treat wisdom as your sister, and insight as your closest friend.
5 So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.
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They will keep you away from other men's wives, from women with seductive words.
6 Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
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Once I was looking out the window of my house,
7 I saw among the young men one without sense,
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and I saw many inexperienced young men, but noticed one foolish fellow in particular.
8 Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,
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He was walking along the street near the corner where a certain woman lived. He was passing near her house
9 At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.
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in the evening after it was dark.
10 And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
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And then she met him; she was dressed like a prostitute and was making plans.
11 She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
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She was a bold and shameless woman who always walked the streets
12 Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
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or stood waiting at a corner, sometimes in the streets, sometimes in the marketplace.
13 So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:
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She threw her arms around the young man, kissed him, looked him straight in the eye, and said,
14 I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
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"I made my offerings today and have the meat from the sacrifices.
15 So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.
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So I came out looking for you. I wanted to find you, and here you are!
16 My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;
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I've covered my bed with sheets of colored linen from Egypt.
17 I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
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I've perfumed it with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.
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Come on! Let's make love all night long. We'll be happy in each other's arms.
19 For the master of the house is away on a long journey:
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My husband isn't at home. He's on a long trip.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.
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He took plenty of money with him and won't be back for two weeks."
21 With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
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So she tempted him with her charms, and he gave in to her smooth talk.
22 The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
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Suddenly he was going with her like an ox on the way to be slaughtered, like a deer prancing into a trap
23 Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.
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where an arrow would pierce its heart. He was like a bird going into a net - he did not know that his life was in danger.
24 So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;
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Now then, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to what I say.
25 Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
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Do not let such a woman win your heart; don't go wandering after her.
26 For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.
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She has been the ruin of many men and caused the death of too many to count.
27 Her house is the way to the underworld, going down to the rooms of death.
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If you go to her house, you are on the way to the world of the dead. It is a shortcut to death.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.