Common English Bible CEB
English Standard Version ESV
1 My son, keep my words; store up my commands within you.
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My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you;
2 Keep my commands and live, and my instruction like the pupil of your eye.
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keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
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bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister"; call understanding "friend,"
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Say to wisdom, “You are my sister, ”and call insight your intimate friend,
5 so she might guard you against the mysterious woman, from the foreign woman who flatters you.
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to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.
6 When from the window of my house, from behind the screen, I gazed down,
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For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice,
7 I looked among the naive young men and noticed among the youth, one who had no sense.
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and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense,
8 He was crossing the street at her corner and walked down the path to her house
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passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house
9 in the early evening, at the onset of night and darkness.
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in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.
10 All of a sudden a woman approaches him, dressed like a prostitute and with a cunning mind.
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And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.
11 She is noisy and defiant; her feet don't stay long in her own house.
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She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home;
12 She has one foot in the street, one foot in the public square. She lies in wait at every corner.
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now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait.
13 She grabs him and kisses him. Her face is brazen as she speaks to him:
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She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him,
14 "I've made a sacrifice of well-being; today I fulfilled my solemn promises.
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“I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows;
15 So I've come out to meet you, seeking you, and I have found you.
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so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
16 I've spread my bed with luxurious covers, with colored linens from Egypt.
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I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen;
17 I've sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
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I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let's drink deep of love until morning; let's savor our lovemaking.
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Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For my husband isn't home; he's gone far away.
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For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey;
20 He took a pouch of money with him; he won't come home till full moon."
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he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home. ”
21 She seduces him with all her talk. She entices him with her flattery.
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With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him.
22 He goes headlong after her, like an ox to the slaughter, like a deer leaping into a trap,
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All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast
23 until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird hurrying to the snare, not aware that it will cost him his life.
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till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24 Now children, listen to me, and pay attention to my speech.
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And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Don't turn your heart to her ways; don't wander down her paths.
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Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths,
26 She has caused many corpses to fall; she has killed many people.
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for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is a path to the grave, going down to the chambers of death.
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Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.