Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
1 My son, keep my words; store up my commands within you.
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My child, keep my words and store 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 teachings 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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that they may keep you from the loose 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 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 saw among the simple ones, I observed among the youths, a young man without 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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Then a woman comes toward him, decked out like 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 squares, 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 impudent 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 decked my couch with coverings, colored spreads of 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 until 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; he will not come home until full moon."
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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Right away he follows her, and goes like an ox to the slaughter, or bounds like a stag toward the trap
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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until an arrow pierces its entrails. He is like a bird rushing into a snare, not knowing 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, my children, 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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Do not let your hearts 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 are those she has laid low, and numerous are her victims.
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.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.