New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands.
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My son, keep my words; store up my commands within you.
2 Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes.
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Keep my commands and live, and my instruction like the pupil of your eye.
3 Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.
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Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family.
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Say to wisdom, "You are my sister"; call understanding "friend,"
5 Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.
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so she might guard you against the mysterious woman, from the foreign woman who flatters you.
6 While I was at the window of my house, looking through the curtain,
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When from the window of my house, from behind the screen, I gazed down,
7 I saw some naive young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense.
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I looked among the naive young men and noticed among the youth, one who had no sense.
8 He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house.
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He was crossing the street at her corner and walked down the path to her house
9 It was at twilight, in the evening, as deep darkness fell.
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in the early evening, at the onset of night and darkness.
10 The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart.
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All of a sudden a woman approaches him, dressed like a prostitute and with a cunning mind.
11 She was the brash, rebellious type, never content to stay at home.
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She is noisy and defiant; her feet don't stay long in her own house.
12 She is often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner.
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She has one foot in the street, one foot in the public square. She lies in wait at every corner.
13 She threw her arms around him and kissed him, and with a brazen look she said,
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She grabs him and kisses him. Her face is brazen as she speaks to him:
14 “I’ve just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows.
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"I've made a sacrifice of well-being; today I fulfilled my solemn promises.
15 You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are!
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So I've come out to meet you, seeking you, and I have found you.
16 My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen.
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I've spread my bed with luxurious covers, with colored linens from Egypt.
17 I’ve perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
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I've sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning. Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses,
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Come, let's drink deep of love until morning; let's savor our lovemaking.
19 for my husband is not home. He’s away on a long trip.
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For my husband isn't home; he's gone far away.
20 He has taken a wallet full of money with him and won’t return until later this month. ”
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He took a pouch of money with him; he won't come home till full moon."
21 So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery.
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She seduces him with all her talk. She entices him with her flattery.
22 He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap,
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He goes headlong after her, like an ox to the slaughter, like a deer leaping into a trap,
23 awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life.
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until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird hurrying to the snare, not aware that it will cost him his life.
24 So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words.
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Now children, listen to me, and pay attention to my speech.
25 Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path.
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Don't turn your heart to her ways; don't wander down her paths.
26 For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims.
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She has caused many corpses to fall; she has killed many people.
27 Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death.
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Her house is a path to the grave, going down to the chambers of death.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible