1 My son! to my wisdom give attention, To mine understanding incline thine ear,

1 בְּ֭נִי לְחָכְמָתִ֣י הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗י הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃

2 To observe thoughtfulness, And knowledge do thy lips keep.

2 לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְזִמֹּ֑ות וְ֝דַ֗עַת שְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃

3 For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And smoother than oil `is' her mouth,

3 כִּ֤י נֹ֣פֶת תִּ֭טֹּפְנָה שִׂפְתֵ֣י זָרָ֑ה וְחָלָ֖ק מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן חִכָּֽהּ׃

4 And her latter end `is' bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a sword `with' mouths.

4 וְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָ֣ה כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה חַ֝דָּ֗ה כְּחֶ֣רֶב פִּיֹּֽות׃

5 Her feet are going down to death, Sheol do her steps take hold of.

5 רַ֭גְלֶיהָ יֹרְדֹ֣ות מָ֑וֶת אֹ֗ול צְעָדֶ֥יהָ יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃

6 The path of life -- lest thou ponder, Moved have her paths -- thou knowest not.

6 אֹ֣רַח חַ֭יִּים פֶּן־תְּפַלֵּ֑ס נָע֥וּ מַ֝עְגְּלֹתֶ֗יהָ לֹ֣א תֵדָֽע׃

7 And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And turn not from sayings of my mouth.

7 וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י וְאַל־תָּ֝ס֗וּרוּ מֵאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

8 Keep far from off her thy way, And come not near unto the opening of her house,

8 הַרְחֵ֣ק מֵעָלֶ֣יהָ דַרְכֶּ֑ךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝קְרַ֗ב אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח בֵּיתָֽהּ׃

9 Lest thou give to others thy honour, And thy years to the fierce,

9 פֶּן־תִּתֵּ֣ן לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים הֹודֶ֑ךָ וּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָ לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃

10 Lest strangers be filled `with' thy power, And thy labours in the house of a stranger,

10 פֶּֽן־יִשְׂבְּע֣וּ זָרִ֣ים כֹּחֶ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲצָבֶ֗יךָ בְּבֵ֣ית נָכְרִֽי׃

11 And thou hast howled in thy latter end, In the consumption of thy flesh and thy food,

11 וְנָהַמְתָּ֥ בְאַחֲרִיתֶ֑ךָ בִּכְלֹ֥ות בְּ֝שָׂרְךָ֗ וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃

12 And hast said, `How have I hated instruction, And reproof hath my heart despised,

12 וְֽאָמַרְתָּ֗ אֵ֭יךְ שָׂנֵ֣אתִי מוּסָ֑ר וְ֝תֹוכַ֗חַת נָאַ֥ץ לִבִּֽי׃

13 And I have not hearkened to the voice of my directors, And to my teachers have not inclined mine ear.

13 וְֽלֹאשָ֭־מַעְתִּי בְּקֹ֣ול מֹורָ֑י וְ֝לִֽמְלַמְּדַ֗י לֹא־הִטִּ֥יתִי אָזְנִֽי׃

14 As a little thing I have been all evil, In the midst of an assembly and a company.

14 כִּ֭מְעַט הָיִ֣יתִי בְכָל־רָ֑ע בְּתֹ֖וךְ קָהָ֣ל וְעֵדָֽה׃

15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, Even flowing ones out of thine own well.

15 שְׁתֵה־מַ֥יִם מִבֹּורֶ֑ךָ וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים מִתֹּ֥וךְ בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃

16 Let thy fountains be scattered abroad, In broad places rivulets of waters.

16 יָפ֣וּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָ ח֑וּצָה בָּ֝רְחֹבֹ֗ות פַּלְגֵי־מָֽיִם׃

17 Let them be to thee for thyself, And not to strangers with thee.

17 יִֽהְיוּ־לְךָ֥ לְבַדֶּ֑ךָ וְאֵ֖ין לְזָרִ֣ים אִתָּֽךְ׃

18 Let thy fountain be blessed, And rejoice because of the wife of thy youth,

18 יְהִֽי־מְקֹורְךָ֥ בָר֑וּךְ וּ֝שְׂמַ֗ח מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת נְעוּרֶֽךָ׃

19 A hind of loves, and a roe of grace! Let her loves satisfy thee at all times, In her love magnify thyself continually.

19 אַיֶּ֥לֶת אֲהָבִ֗ים וְֽיַעֲלַ֫ת־חֵ֥ן דַּ֭דֶּיהָ יְרַוֻּ֣ךָ בְכָל־עֵ֑ת בְּ֝אַהֲבָתָ֗הּ תִּשְׁגֶּ֥ה תָמִֽיד׃

20 And why dost thou magnify thyself, My son, with a stranger? And embrace the bosom of a strange woman?

20 וְלָ֤מָּה תִשְׁגֶּ֣ה בְנִ֣י בְזָרָ֑ה וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק חֵ֣ק נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

21 For over-against the eyes of Jehovah are the ways of each, And all his paths He is pondering.

21 כִּ֤י נֹ֨כַח׀ עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְֽכָל־מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו מְפַלֵּֽס׃

22 His own iniquities do capture the wicked, And with the ropes of his sin he is holden.

22 עַֽוֹונֹותָ֗יו יִלְכְּדֻנֹ֥ו אֶת־הָרָשָׁ֑ע וּבְחַבְלֵ֥י חַ֝טָּאתֹ֗ו יִתָּמֵֽךְ׃

23 He dieth without instruction, And in the abundance of his folly magnifieth himself!

23 ה֗וּא יָ֭מוּת בְּאֵ֣ין מוּסָ֑ר וּבְרֹ֖ב אִוַּלְתֹּ֣ו יִשְׁגֶּֽה׃