| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you. | 1Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands. |
| 2Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. | 2Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes. |
| 3Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. | 3Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. |
| 4Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman, | 4Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family. |
| 5that they may keep you from the adulteress, from the stranger with seductive words. | 5Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman. |
| 6For at the window of my house I looked through the lattice. | 6While I was at the window of my house, looking through the curtain, |
| 7I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment, | 7I saw some naive young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense. |
| 8crossing the street near her corner, strolling down the road to her house, | 8He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house. |
| 9at twilight, as the day was fading into the dark of the night. | 9It was at twilight, in the evening, as deep darkness fell. |
| 10Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart. | 10The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart. |
| 11She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home. | 11She was the brash, rebellious type, never content to stay at home. |
| 12Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner. | 12She is often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner. |
| 13She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him: | 13She threw her arms around him and kissed him, and with a brazen look she said, |
| 14“I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows. | 14“I’ve just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows. |
| 15So I came out to meet you; I sought you, and I have found you. | 15You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are! |
| 16I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt. | 16My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen. |
| 17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon. | 17I’ve perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. |
| 18Come, let us take our fill of love till morning. Let us delight in loving caresses! | 18Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning. Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses, |
| 19For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. | 19for my husband is not home. He’s away on a long trip. |
| 20He took with him a bag of money and will not return till the moon is full.” | 20He has taken a wallet full of money with him and won’t return until later this month. ” |
| 21With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him. | 21So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery. |
| 22He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap, | 22He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap, |
| 23until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare—not knowing it will cost him his life. | 23awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life. |
| 24Now, my sons, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth. | 24So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words. |
| 25Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths. | 25Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path. |
| 26For she has brought many down to death; her slain are many in number. | 26For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. |
| 27Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death. | 27Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death. |
|
