New Living Translation NLT
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands.
1
My son! keep my sayings, And my commands lay up with thee.
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 law as the pupil of thine eye.
3 Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.
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Bind them on thy fingers, Write them on the tablet of thy heart.
4 Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family.
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Say to wisdom, `My sister Thou [art].' And cry to understanding, `Kinswoman!'
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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To preserve thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.
6 While I was at the window of my house, looking through the curtain,
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For, at a window of my house, Through my casement I have looked out,
7 I saw some naive young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense.
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And I do see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,
8 He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house.
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Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way [to] her house he doth step,
9 It was at twilight, in the evening, as deep darkness fell.
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In the twilight -- in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.
10 The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart.
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And, lo, a woman to meet him -- (A harlot's dress, and watchful of heart,
11 She was the brash, rebellious type, never content to stay at home.
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Noisy she [is], and stubborn, In her house her feet rest not.
12 She is often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner.
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Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And near every corner she lieth in wait) --
13 She threw her arms around him and kissed him, and with a brazen look she said,
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And she laid hold on him, and kissed him, She hath hardened her face, and saith to him,
14 “I’ve just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows.
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`Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, To-day I have completed my vows.
15 You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are!
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Therefore I have come forth to meet thee, To seek earnestly thy face, and I find thee.
16 My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen.
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[With] ornamental coverings I decked my couch, Carved works -- cotton of Egypt.
17 I’ve perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
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I sprinkled my bed -- 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, we are filled [with] loves till the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.
19 for my husband is not home. He’s away on a long trip.
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For the man is not in his house, He hath gone on a long journey.
20 He has taken a wallet full of money with him and won’t return until later this month. ”
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A bag of money he hath taken in his hand, At the day of the new moon he cometh to his house.'
21 So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery.
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She turneth him aside with the abundance of her speech, With the flattery of her lips she forceth him.
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 is going after her straightway, As an ox unto the slaughter he cometh, And as a fetter unto the chastisement of a fool,
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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Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it [is] for its life.
24 So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words.
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And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.
25 Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path.
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Let not thy heart turn unto her ways, Do not wander in her paths,
26 For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims.
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For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty [are] all her slain ones.
27 Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death.
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The ways of Sheol -- her house, Going down unto inner 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.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.