1 My son, attend to my wisdom, and bow thy ear to my understanding:

1 בְּ֭נִי לְחָכְמָתִ֣י הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗י הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃

2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

2 לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְזִמֹּ֑ות וְ֝דַ֗עַת שְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃

3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as a honey-comb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

3 כִּ֤י נֹ֣פֶת תִּ֭טֹּפְנָה שִׂפְתֵ֣י זָרָ֑ה וְחָלָ֖ק מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן חִכָּֽהּ׃

4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

4 וְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָ֣ה כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה חַ֝דָּ֗ה כְּחֶ֣רֶב פִּיֹּֽות׃

5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

5 רַ֭גְלֶיהָ יֹרְדֹ֣ות מָ֑וֶת אֹ֗ול צְעָדֶ֥יהָ יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃

6 Lest thou shouldst ponder the path of life, her ways are movable, that thou canst not know them.

6 אֹ֣רַח חַ֭יִּים פֶּן־תְּפַלֵּ֑ס נָע֥וּ מַ֝עְגְּלֹתֶ֗יהָ לֹ֣א תֵדָֽע׃

7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

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

8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

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

9 Lest thou give thy honor to others, and thy years to the cruel:

9 פֶּן־תִּתֵּ֣ן לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים הֹודֶ֑ךָ וּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָ לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃

10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labors be in the house of a stranger;

10 פֶּֽן־יִשְׂבְּע֣וּ זָרִ֣ים כֹּחֶ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲצָבֶ֗יךָ בְּבֵ֣ית נָכְרִֽי׃

11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

11 וְנָהַמְתָּ֥ בְאַחֲרִיתֶ֑ךָ בִּכְלֹ֥ות בְּ֝שָׂרְךָ֗ וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃

12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

12 וְֽאָמַרְתָּ֗ אֵ֭יךְ שָׂנֵ֣אתִי מוּסָ֑ר וְ֝תֹוכַ֗חַת נָאַ֥ץ לִבִּֽי׃

13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to them that instructed me!

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

14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

14 כִּ֭מְעַט הָיִ֣יתִי בְכָל־רָ֑ע בְּתֹ֖וךְ קָהָ֣ל וְעֵדָֽה׃

15 Drink waters out of thy own cistern, and running waters out of thy own well.

15 שְׁתֵה־מַ֥יִם מִבֹּורֶ֑ךָ וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים מִתֹּ֥וךְ בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃

16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

16 יָפ֣וּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָ ח֑וּצָה בָּ֝רְחֹבֹ֗ות פַּלְגֵי־מָֽיִם׃

17 Let them be only thy own, and not for strangers with thee.

17 יִֽהְיוּ־לְךָ֥ לְבַדֶּ֑ךָ וְאֵ֖ין לְזָרִ֣ים אִתָּֽךְ׃

18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

18 יְהִֽי־מְקֹורְךָ֥ בָר֑וּךְ וּ֝שְׂמַ֗ח מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת נְעוּרֶֽךָ׃

19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

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

20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

20 וְלָ֤מָּה תִשְׁגֶּ֣ה בְנִ֣י בְזָרָ֑ה וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק חֵ֣ק נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

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

22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be held with the cords of his sins.

22 עַֽוֹונֹותָ֗יו יִלְכְּדֻנֹ֥ו אֶת־הָרָשָׁ֑ע וּבְחַבְלֵ֥י חַ֝טָּאתֹ֗ו יִתָּמֵֽךְ׃

23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

23 ה֗וּא יָ֭מוּת בְּאֵ֣ין מוּסָ֑ר וּבְרֹ֖ב אִוַּלְתֹּ֣ו יִשְׁגֶּֽה׃