^7:1 My son, keep my words and lay up my commandments with you. ^7:2 Keep my commandments and live and my law as the apple of your eye. ^7:3 Bind them upon your fingers. Write them upon the tablet of your heart.

    ^7:4 Say to wisdom, You are my sister and call understanding your kinswoman, ^7:5 that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreign woman who flatters with her words.

    ^7:6 Because I looked forth through my lattice at the window of my house, ^7:7 and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding ^7:8 passing through the street near her corner. And he went the way to her house, ^7:9 in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.

    ^7:10 And behold, a woman attired like a prostitute and with a guarded heart met him there. ^7:11 She is loud and headstrong. Her feet do not abide in her house. ^7:12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places and lies in wait at every corner.

    ^7:13 So she caught him and kissed him. She said to him with an impudent face, ^7:14 Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me. I have paid my vows this day.^7:15 Therefore I came out to meet you, diligently to seek your face and I have found you. ^7:16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt. ^7:17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

    ^7:18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning. Let us solace ourselves with love. ^7:19 Because the man is not at home. He has gone a long journey.^7:20 He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.

    ^7:21 She causes him to yield with her much fair speech. She forces him along with the flattering of her lips.

    ^7:22 He goes after her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, ^7:23 till an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hastens to the snare. And he does not know that it is for his life.

    ^7:24 Now therefore, you^* sons, listen to me and attend to the words of my mouth. ^7:25 Do not let your heart decline to her ways. Do not go-astray in her paths. ^7:26 Because she has cast down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty host.

    ^7:27 Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.