1 My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.

1 בְּ֭נִי שְׁמֹ֣ר אֲמָרָ֑י וּ֝מִצְוֹתַ֗י תִּצְפֹּ֥ן אִתָּֽךְ׃

2 Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.

2 שְׁמֹ֣ר מִצְוֹתַ֣י וֶחְיֵ֑ה וְ֝תֹורָתִ֗י כְּאִישֹׁ֥ון עֵינֶֽיךָ׃

3 Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.

3 קָשְׁרֵ֥ם עַל־אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding `thy' kinswoman:

4 אֱמֹ֣ר לַֽ֭חָכְמָה אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ וּ֝מֹדָ֗ע לַבִּינָ֥ה תִקְרָֽא׃

5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.

5 לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃

6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;

6 כִּ֭י בְּחַלֹּ֣ון בֵּיתִ֑י בְּעַ֖ד אֶשְׁנַבִּ֣י נִשְׁקָֽפְתִּי׃

7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,

7 וָאֵ֤רֶא בַפְּתָאיִ֗ם אָ֘בִ֤ינָה בַבָּנִ֗ים נַ֣עַר חֲסַר־לֵֽב׃

8 Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,

8 עֹבֵ֣ר בַּ֭שּׁוּק אֵ֣צֶל פִּנָּ֑הּ וְדֶ֖רֶךְ בֵּיתָ֣הּ יִצְעָֽד׃

9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.

9 בְּנֶֽשֶׁף־בְּעֶ֥רֶב יֹ֑ום בְּאִישֹׁ֥ון לַ֝֗יְלָה וַאֲפֵלָֽה׃

10 And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.

10 וְהִנֵּ֣ה אִ֭שָּׁה לִקְרָאתֹ֑ו שִׁ֥ית זֹ֝ונָ֗ה וּנְצֻ֥רַת לֵֽב׃

11 She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:

11 הֹמִיָּ֣ה הִ֣יא וְסֹרָ֑רֶת בְּ֝בֵיתָ֗הּ לֹא־יִשְׁכְּנ֥וּ רַגְלֶֽיהָ׃

12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.

12 פַּ֤עַם׀ בַּח֗וּץ פַּ֥עַם בָּרְחֹבֹ֑ות וְאֵ֖צֶל כָּל־פִּנָּ֣ה תֶאֱרֹֽב׃

13 So she caught him, and kissed him, `And' with an impudent face she said unto him:

13 וְהֶחֱזִ֣יקָה בֹּ֖ו וְנָ֣שְׁקָה־לֹּ֑ו הֵעֵ֥זָה פָ֝נֶ֗יהָ וַתֹּ֣אמַר לֹֽו׃

14 Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.

14 זִבְחֵ֣י שְׁלָמִ֣ים עָלָ֑י הַ֝יֹּ֗ום שִׁלַּ֥מְתִּי נְדָרָֽי׃

15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

15 עַל־כֵּ֭ן יָצָ֣אתִי לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ לְשַׁחֵ֥ר פָּ֝נֶ֗יךָ וָאֶמְצָאֶֽךָּ׃

16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.

16 מַ֭רְבַדִּים רָבַ֣דְתִּי עַרְשִׂ֑י חֲ֝טֻבֹ֗ות אֵט֥וּן מִצְרָֽיִם׃

17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

17 נַ֥פְתִּי מִשְׁכָּבִ֑י מֹ֥ר אֲ֝הָלִ֗ים וְקִנָּמֹֽון׃

18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.

18 לְכָ֤ה נִרְוֶ֣ה דֹ֭דִים עַד־הַבֹּ֑קֶר נִ֝תְעַלְּסָ֗ה בָּאֳהָבִֽים׃

19 For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:

19 כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין הָאִ֣ישׁ בְּבֵיתֹ֑ו הָ֝לַ֗ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ מֵרָחֹֽוק׃

20 He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.

20 צְֽרֹור־הַ֭כֶּסֶף לָקַ֣ח בְּיָדֹ֑ו לְיֹ֥ום הַ֝כֵּ֗סֶא יָבֹ֥א בֵיתֹֽו׃

21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.

21 הִ֭טַּתּוּ בְּרֹ֣ב לִקְחָ֑הּ בְּחֵ֥לֶק פָתֶ֗יהָ תַּדִּיחֶֽנּוּ׃

22 He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as `one in' fetters to the correction of the fool;

22 הֹ֤ולֵ֥ךְ אַחֲרֶ֗יהָ פִּ֫תְאֹ֥ם כְּ֭שֹׁור אֶל־טָ֣בַח¹ יָבֹ֑וא וּ֝כְעֶ֗כֶס אֶל־מוּסַ֥ר אֱוִֽיל׃

23 Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.

23 עַ֤ד יְפַלַּ֪ח חֵ֡ץ כְּֽבֵדֹ֗ו כְּמַהֵ֣ר צִפֹּ֣ור אֶל־פָּ֑ח וְלֹֽא־יָ֝דַ֗ע כִּֽי־בְנַפְשֹׁ֥ו הֽוּא׃

24 Now therefore, `my' sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.

24 וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לְאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.

25 אַל־יֵ֣שְׂטְ אֶל־דְּרָכֶ֣יהָ לִבֶּ֑ךָ אַל־תֵּ֝תַע בִּנְתִיבֹותֶֽיהָ׃

26 For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.

26 כִּֽי־רַבִּ֣ים חֲלָלִ֣ים הִפִּ֑ילָה וַ֝עֲצֻמִ֗ים כָּל־הֲרֻגֶֽיהָ׃

27 Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.

27 דַּרְכֵ֣י שְׁאֹ֣ול בֵּיתָ֑הּ יֹ֝רְדֹ֗ות אֶל־חַדְרֵי־מָֽוֶת׃