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and treasure my commands within you.
2 Store up my commands and live;
keep my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call understanding your kinsman;
5 for they keep you from the loose woman,
from the adulteress with her seductive words.
6 At the window of my house
I looked out through my lattice.
7 I saw among the simple,
I noticed among the youths,
a young man lacking sense.
8 He was passing down the street near her corner,
walking along the path to her house
9 at twilight, towards the evening,
as the dark of night closed in.
10 Then a woman came out to meet him,
dressed like a prostitute and crafty of heart.
11 She is loud and defiant;
her feet never stay at home;
12 now in the streets, now in the squares,
she lurks at every corner.
13 She seizes him and kisses him
and with a brazen face she says to him,
14 “I have made my fellowship offerings;
today I have fulfilled my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you;
I searched for you and have found you!
16 I have spread coverings over my bed—
coloured linens from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
let’s delight ourselves with love!
19 My husband is not at home;
he has gone away on a long journey.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him
and will not come home until the full moon.”
21 With her persuasive speech she entices him;
with the flattering of her lips she lures him.
22 All at once he follows her
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a stag bounding toward a trap,
23until an arrow pierces through his liver.
He is like a bird darting into a snare,
not knowing that it will cost him his life.
24 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let you heart turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her paths.
26 For she has thrown down many victims,
and numerous men have been slain by her.
27 Her house is a highway down to Sheol,
descending down to the chambers of death.