| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. | 1My son, obey my words, and treasure my commands. |
| 2Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. | 2Keep my commands and live; protect my teachings as the pupil of your eye. |
| 3Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. | 3Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. |
| 4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: | 4Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call understanding your relative. |
| 5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. | 5She will keep you from a forbidden woman, a stranger with her flattering talk. |
| 6For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, | 6At the window of my house I looked through my lattice. |
| 7And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, | 7I saw among the inexperienced, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking sense. |
| 8Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, | 8Crossing the street near her corner, he strolled down the road to her house |
| 9In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: | 9at twilight, in the evening, in the dark of the night. |
| 10And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. | 10A woman came to meet him dressed like a prostitute, having a hidden agenda. |
| 11(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: | 11She is loud and defiant; her feet do not stay at home. |
| 12Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) | 12Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner. |
| 13So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, | 13She grabs him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him," |
| 14I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. | 14I've made fellowship offerings; today I've fulfilled my vows. |
| 15Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. | 15So I came out to meet you, to search for you, and I've found you. |
| 16I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. | 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 until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. | 18Come, let's drink deeply of lovemaking until morning. Let's feast on each other's love! |
| 19For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: | 19My husband isn't home; he went on a long journey. |
| 20He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. | 20He took a bag of money with him and will come home at the time of the full moon." |
| 21With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. | 21She seduces him with her persistent pleading; she lures with her flattering talk. |
| 22He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; | 22He follows her impulsively like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding toward a trap |
| 23Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for 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. |
| 24Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. | 24Now, my sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words of my mouth. |
| 25Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. | 25Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways; don't stray onto her paths. |
| 26For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. | 26For she has brought many down to death; her victims are countless. |
| 27Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. | 27Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death. |
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