| New Living Translation | English Standard Version |
| 1Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands. | 1My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; |
| 2Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes. | 2keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; |
| 3Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. | 3bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. |
| 4Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family. | 4Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend, |
| 5Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman. | 5to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words. |
| 6While I was at the window of my house, looking through the curtain, | 6For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, |
| 7I saw some naive young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense. | 7and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, |
| 8He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house. | 8passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house |
| 9It was at twilight, in the evening, as deep darkness fell. | 9in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. |
| 10The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart. | 10And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. |
| 11She was the brash, rebellious type, never content to stay at home. | 11She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; |
| 12She is often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner. | 12now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. |
| 13She threw her arms around him and kissed him, and with a brazen look she said, | 13She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, |
| 14“I’ve just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows. | 14“I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; |
| 15You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are! | 15so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. |
| 16My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen. | 16I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; |
| 17I’ve perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. | 17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. |
| 18Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning. Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses, | 18Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. |
| 19for my husband is not home. He’s away on a long trip. | 19For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; |
| 20He has taken a wallet full of money with him and won’t return until later this month. ” | 20he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.” |
| 21So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery. | 21With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. |
| 22He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap, | 22All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast |
| 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. | 23till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. |
| 24So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words. | 24And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. |
| 25Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path. | 25Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, |
| 26For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. | 26for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. |
| 27Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death. | 27Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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