New International Version NIV
American Standard Version ASV
1 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.
1
My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
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Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
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Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.”
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Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding [thy] kinswoman:
5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words.
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That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From he foreigner that flattereth with her words.
6 At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice.
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For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense.
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And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,
8 He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house
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Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,
9 at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.
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In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
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And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 (She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home;
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She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:
12 now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.)
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Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.
13 She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said:
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So she caught him, and kissed him, [And] with an impudent face she said unto him:
14 “Today I fulfilled my vows, and I have food from my fellowship offering at home.
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Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!
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Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt.
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I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed 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 deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love!
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Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.
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For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:
20 He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.”
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He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.
21 With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.
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With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose
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He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as [one in] fetters to the correction of the fool;
23 till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.
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Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.
24 Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.
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Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.
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Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.
26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.
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For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
27 Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.
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Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.
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.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.