| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; | 1My son, obey my words, and treasure my commands. |
| 2keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; | 2Keep my commands and live; protect my teachings as the pupil of your eye. |
| 3bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. | 3Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. |
| 4Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend, | 4Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call understanding your relative. |
| 5to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words. | 5She will keep you from a forbidden woman, a stranger with her flattering talk. |
| 6For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, | 6At the window of my house I looked through my lattice. |
| 7and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, | 7I saw among the inexperienced, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking sense. |
| 8passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house | 8Crossing the street near her corner, he strolled down the road to her house |
| 9in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. | 9at twilight, in the evening, in the dark of the night. |
| 10And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. | 10A woman came to meet him dressed like a prostitute, having a hidden agenda. |
| 11She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; | 11She is loud and defiant; her feet do not stay at home. |
| 12now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. | 12Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner. |
| 13She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, | 13She grabs him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him," |
| 14“I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; | 14I've made fellowship offerings; today I've fulfilled my vows. |
| 15so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. | 15So I came out to meet you, to search for you, and I've found you. |
| 16I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; | 16I've spread coverings on my bed-- richly colored linen from Egypt. |
| 17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. | 17I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. |
| 18Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. | 18Come, let's drink deeply of lovemaking until morning. Let's feast on each other's love! |
| 19For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; | 19My husband isn't home; he went on a long journey. |
| 20he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.” | 20He took a bag of money with him and will come home at the time of the full moon." |
| 21With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. | 21She seduces him with her persistent pleading; she lures with her flattering talk. |
| 22All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast | 22He follows her impulsively like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding toward a trap |
| 23till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. | 23until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird darting into a snare-- he doesn't know it will cost him his life. |
| 24And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. | 24Now, my sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words of my mouth. |
| 25Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, | 25Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways; don't stray onto her paths. |
| 26for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. | 26For she has brought many down to death; her victims are countless. |
| 27Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death. | 27Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death. |
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