1 My son! keep my sayings, And my commands lay up with thee.

1 בְּ֭נִי שְׁמֹ֣ר אֲמָרָ֑י וּ֝מִצְוֹתַ֗י תִּצְפֹּ֥ן אִתָּֽךְ׃

2 Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of thine eye.

2 שְׁמֹ֣ר מִצְוֹתַ֣י וֶחְיֵ֑ה וְ֝תֹורָתִ֗י כְּאִישֹׁ֥ון עֵינֶֽיךָ׃

3 Bind them on thy fingers, Write them on the tablet of thy heart.

3 קָשְׁרֵ֥ם עַל־אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

4 Say to wisdom, `My sister Thou `art'.' And cry to understanding, `Kinswoman!'

4 אֱמֹ֣ר לַֽ֭חָכְמָה אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ וּ֝מֹדָ֗ע לַבִּינָ֥ה תִקְרָֽא׃

5 To preserve thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.

5 לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃

6 For, at a window of my house, Through my casement I have looked out,

6 כִּ֭י בְּחַלֹּ֣ון בֵּיתִ֑י בְּעַ֖ד אֶשְׁנַבִּ֣י נִשְׁקָֽפְתִּי׃

7 And I do see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,

7 וָאֵ֤רֶא בַפְּתָאיִ֗ם אָ֘בִ֤ינָה בַבָּנִ֗ים נַ֣עַר חֲסַר־לֵֽב׃

8 Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way `to' her house he doth step,

8 עֹבֵ֣ר בַּ֭שּׁוּק אֵ֣צֶל פִּנָּ֑הּ וְדֶ֖רֶךְ בֵּיתָ֣הּ יִצְעָֽד׃

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

9 בְּנֶֽשֶׁף־בְּעֶ֥רֶב יֹ֑ום בְּאִישֹׁ֥ון לַ֝֗יְלָה וַאֲפֵלָֽה׃

10 And, lo, a woman to meet him -- (A harlot's dress, and watchful of heart,

10 וְהִנֵּ֣ה אִ֭שָּׁה לִקְרָאתֹ֑ו שִׁ֥ית זֹ֝ונָ֗ה וּנְצֻ֥רַת לֵֽב׃

11 Noisy she `is', and stubborn, In her house her feet rest not.

11 הֹמִיָּ֣ה הִ֣יא וְסֹרָ֑רֶת בְּ֝בֵיתָ֗הּ לֹא־יִשְׁכְּנ֥וּ רַגְלֶֽיהָ׃

12 Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And near every corner she lieth in wait) --

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

13 And she laid hold on him, and kissed him, She hath hardened her face, and saith to him,

13 וְהֶחֱזִ֣יקָה בֹּ֖ו וְנָ֣שְׁקָה־לֹּ֑ו הֵעֵ֥זָה פָ֝נֶ֗יהָ וַתֹּ֣אמַר לֹֽו׃

14 `Sacrifices of peace-offerings `are' by me, To-day I have completed my vows.

14 זִבְחֵ֣י שְׁלָמִ֣ים עָלָ֑י הַ֝יֹּ֗ום שִׁלַּ֥מְתִּי נְדָרָֽי׃

15 Therefore I have come forth to meet thee, To seek earnestly thy face, and I find thee.

15 עַל־כֵּ֭ן יָצָ֣אתִי לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ לְשַׁחֵ֥ר פָּ֝נֶ֗יךָ וָאֶמְצָאֶֽךָּ׃

16 `With' ornamental coverings I decked my couch, Carved works -- cotton of Egypt.

16 מַ֭רְבַדִּים רָבַ֣דְתִּי עַרְשִׂ֑י חֲ֝טֻבֹ֗ות אֵט֥וּן מִצְרָֽיִם׃

17 I sprinkled my bed -- myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

17 נַ֥פְתִּי מִשְׁכָּבִ֑י מֹ֥ר אֲ֝הָלִ֗ים וְקִנָּמֹֽון׃

18 Come, we are filled `with' loves till the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.

18 לְכָ֤ה נִרְוֶ֣ה דֹ֭דִים עַד־הַבֹּ֑קֶר נִ֝תְעַלְּסָ֗ה בָּאֳהָבִֽים׃

19 For the man is not in his house, He hath gone on a long journey.

19 כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין הָאִ֣ישׁ בְּבֵיתֹ֑ו הָ֝לַ֗ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ מֵרָחֹֽוק׃

20 A bag of money he hath taken in his hand, At the day of the new moon he cometh to his house.'

20 צְֽרֹור־הַ֭כֶּסֶף לָקַ֣ח בְּיָדֹ֑ו לְיֹ֥ום הַ֝כֵּ֗סֶא יָבֹ֥א בֵיתֹֽו׃

21 She turneth him aside with the abundance of her speech, With the flattery of her lips she forceth him.

21 הִ֭טַּתּוּ בְּרֹ֣ב לִקְחָ֑הּ בְּחֵ֥לֶק פָתֶ֗יהָ תַּדִּיחֶֽנּוּ׃

22 He is going after her straightway, As an ox unto the slaughter he cometh, And as a fetter unto the chastisement of a fool,

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

23 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.

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

24 And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.

24 וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לְאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

25 Let not thy heart turn unto her ways, Do not wander in her paths,

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

26 For many `are' the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty `are' all her slain ones.

26 כִּֽי־רַבִּ֣ים חֲלָלִ֣ים הִפִּ֑ילָה וַ֝עֲצֻמִ֗ים כָּל־הֲרֻגֶֽיהָ׃

27 The ways of Sheol -- her house, Going down unto inner chambers of death!

27 דַּרְכֵ֣י שְׁאֹ֣ול בֵּיתָ֑הּ יֹ֝רְדֹ֗ות אֶל־חַדְרֵי־מָֽוֶת׃