Warnings about the Adulteress

1My sonne kepe my words, and lay vp my commaundements by thee.

2Kepe my commaundementes & my lawe, euen as the apple of thyne eye, and thou shalt liue.

3Binde them vpon thy fingers, and wryte them in the table of thyne heart.

4Say vnto wysdome, thou art my sister: and call vnderstanding thy kinsewoman:

5That they may kepe thee from the straunge woman, and from the forraine woman which geueth sweete wordes.

6For at the windowe of my house I loked through the windowe,

7And behelde among the simple people and among the chyldren a young man voyde of wyt,

8Goyng ouer the streate by the corner in the way towarde her house

9In the twylight of the euening, when it began nowe to be night and darke:

10And behold there met hym a woman with open tokens of an harlot, onlye her heart was hid:

11She was full of loude wordes and redye to dallie, whose feete coulde not abide in the house:

12Nowe is she without, nowe in the streates, and lyeth in wayte at euery corner.

13She caught hym and kissed him, and was not ashamed, saying:

14I had a vowe of peace offeringes to pay, and this day I perfourme it:

15Therefore came I foorth to meete thee, that I might seeke thy face, and so haue I founde thee.

16I haue deckt my bed with coueringes of tapessarie, and clothes of Egypt.

17My bed haue I made to smell of Myrre, Aloes, and Cinamon.

18Come let vs take our fill of loue vntyll the morning, and let vs solace our selues with the pleasures of loue.

19For the good man is not at home, he is gone farre of.

20He hath taken the bagge of money with hym, and wyll returne at the appointed solempne feast.

21Thus with many sweete wordes she ouercame him, and with her flattering lippes she entised hym.

22Sodainly he folowed her, as it were an oxe led to the slaughter, and lyke as it were a foole that laugheth when he goeth to the stockes to be punished,

23So long tyll she had wounded his lyuer with her dart: lyke as if a byrde hasted to the snare, not knowing that the perill of his life lieth thervpon.

24Heare me now therfore O my chylde, and marke the wordes of my mouth:

25Let not thyne heart wander in her wayes, and be not thou deceaued in her pathes.

26For many one hath she wounded and cast downe, yea many a strong man hath ben slaine by the meanes of her.

27Her house is the way vnto hell, and bryng men downe into the chaumbers of death.