| 1 | My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
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| 2 | Keep my commandments and live; Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
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| 3 | Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
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| 4 | Tell wisdom, "You are my sister." Call understanding your relative,
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| 5 | That they may keep you from the strange woman, From the foreigner who flatters with her words.
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| 6 | For at the window of my house, I looked forth through my lattice.
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| 7 | I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
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| 8 | Passing through the street near her corner, He went the way to her house,
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| 9 | In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
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| 10 | Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, And with crafty intent.
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| 11 | She is loud and defiant. Her feet don't stay in her house.
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| 12 | Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, And lurking at every corner.
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| 13 | So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
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| 14 | "Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me. This day I have paid my vows.
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| 15 | Therefore I came out to meet you, To diligently seek your face, And I have found you.
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| 16 | I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
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| 17 | I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
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| 18 | Come, let's take our fill of loving until the morning. Let's solace ourselves with loving.
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| 19 | For my husband isn't at home. He has gone on a long journey.
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| 20 | He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon."
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| 21 | With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
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| 22 | He followed her immediately, As an ox goes to the slaughter, As a fool stepping into a noose.
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| 23 | Until an arrow strikes through his liver, As a bird hurries to the snare, And doesn't know that it will cost his life.
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| 24 | Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
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| 25 | Don't let your heart turn to her ways. Don't go astray in her paths,
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| 26 | For she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty host.
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| 27 | Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.
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