New Revised Standard NRS
Common English Bible CEB
1 My child, keep my words and store up my commandments with you;
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My son, keep my words; store up my commands within you.
2 keep my commandments and live, keep my teachings as the apple of your eye;
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Keep my commands and live, and my instruction like the pupil 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," and call insight your intimate friend,
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Say to wisdom, "You are my sister"; call understanding "friend,"
5 that they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.
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so she might guard you against the mysterious woman, from the foreign woman who flatters you.
6 For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice,
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When from the window of my house, from behind the screen, I gazed down,
7 and I saw among the simple ones, I observed among the youths, a young man without sense,
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I looked among the naive young men and noticed among the youth, one who had no sense.
8 passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house
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He was crossing the street at her corner and walked down the path to her house
9 in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.
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in the early evening, at the onset of night and darkness.
10 Then a woman comes toward him, decked out like a prostitute, wily 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 is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home;
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She is noisy and defiant; her feet don't stay long in her own house.
12 now in the street, now in the squares, and at every corner she lies in wait.
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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 seizes him and kisses him, and with impudent face she says to him:
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She grabs him and kisses him. Her face is brazen as she speaks to him:
14 "I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows;
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"I've made a sacrifice of well-being; today I fulfilled my solemn promises.
15 so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you!
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So I've come out to meet you, seeking you, and I have found you.
16 I have decked my couch with coverings, colored spreads of Egyptian linen;
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I've spread my bed with luxurious covers, with colored linens from Egypt.
17 I have 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 us take our fill of love until morning; let us delight ourselves with love.
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Come, let's drink deep of love until morning; let's savor our lovemaking.
19 For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.
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For my husband isn't home; he's gone far away.
20 He took a bag of money with him; he will not come home until full moon."
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He took a pouch of money with him; he won't come home till full moon."
21 With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him.
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She seduces him with all her talk. She entices him with her flattery.
22 Right away he follows her, and goes like an ox to the slaughter, or bounds like a stag toward the trap
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He goes headlong after her, like an ox to the slaughter, like a deer leaping into a trap,
23 until an arrow pierces its entrails. He is like a bird rushing into a snare, not knowing that it will 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 And now, my children, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
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Now children, listen to me, and pay attention to my speech.
25 Do not let your hearts turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths.
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Don't turn your heart to her ways; don't wander down her paths.
26 for many are those she has laid low, and numerous are her victims.
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She has caused many corpses to fall; she has killed many people.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.
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Her house is a path to the grave, going down to the chambers of death.
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.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible