1 My seun, luister na my wysheid, neig jou oor tot my insig,

2 dat jy volle oorleg kan behou en jou lippe kennis kan bewaar;

3 want die lippe van die vreemde vrou drup heuningstroop, en haar verhemelte is gladder as olie,

4 maar op die end is sy bitter soos wilde-als, soos 'n swaard aan weerskante skerp.

5 Haar voete daal na die dood toe af, haar treë streef na die doderyk toe.

6 Dat sy die pad na die lewe nie sou inslaan nie, wankel haar gange sonder dat sy dit weet.

7 Luister dan nou na my, julle seuns, en wyk nie af van die woorde van my mond nie.

8 Hou jou weg ver van haar af, en kom nie naby die deur van haar huis nie,

9 sodat jy nie jou bloei aan ander gee en jou jare aan een wat onbarmhartig is nie;

10 sodat vreemdes hulle nie versadig met jou vermoë en jou moeitevolle arbeid in die huis van 'n uitlander kom nie

11 en jy uiteindelik moet steun as jou liggaam en jou vlees verteer is,

12 en moet sê: Hoe het ek die tug gehaat en my hart die kastyding versmaad,

13 en nie geluister na die stem van my onderwysers en geen gehoor gegee aan die wat my geleer het nie!

14 Amper was ek heeltemal in die ongeluk, in die vergadering en die gemeente.

15 Drink water uit jou eie reënbak en strome uit jou eie put.

16 Sal jou fonteine buitentoe oorstroom, waterstrome op die pleine?

17 Hulle moet vir jou alleen wees en nie vir ander saam met jou nie.

18 Mag jou fontein geseënd wees, en verheug jou oor die vrou van jou jeug --

19 die lieflike wildsbokkie en aanvallige steenbokkie; laat haar boesem jou altyd vermaak, mag jy in haar liefde gedurigdeur bedwelmd wees.

20 Maar waarom sou jy, my seun, by 'n vreemde bedwelmd raak en die boesem van 'n ontugtige omhels?

21 Want elke mens se weë is voor die oë van die HERE, en Hy weeg al sy gange.

22 Sy eie ongeregtighede vang hom, die goddelose, en in die vangstrikke van sy sonde word hy vasgehou.

23 Hy sal sterf deur gebrek aan tug, en deur die grootheid van sy dwaasheid sal hy dwaal.

1 My son, give attention to my wisdom; let your ear be turned to my teaching:

2 So that you may be ruled by a wise purpose, and your lips may keep knowledge.

3 For honey is dropping from the lips of the strange woman, and her mouth is smoother than oil;

4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword;

5 Her feet go down to death, and her steps to the underworld;

6 She never keeps her mind on the road of life; her ways are uncertain, she has no knowledge.

7 Give ear to me then, my sons, and do not put away my words from you.

8 Go far away from her, do not come near the door of her house;

9 For fear that you may give your honour to others, and your wealth to strange men:

10 And strange men may be full of your wealth, and the fruit of your work go to the house of others;

11 And you will be full of grief at the end of your life, when your flesh and your body are wasted;

12 And you will say, How was teaching hated by me, and my heart put no value on training;

13 I did not give attention to the voice of my teachers, my ear was not turned to those who were guiding me!

14 I was in almost all evil in the company of the people.

15 Let water from your store and not that of others be your drink, and running water from your fountain.

16 Let not your springs be flowing in the streets, or your streams of water in the open places.

17 Let them be for yourself only, not for other men with you.

18 Let blessing be on your fountain; have joy in the wife of your early years.

19 As a loving hind and a gentle doe, let her breasts ever give you rapture; let your passion at all times be moved by her love.

20 Why let yourself, my son, go out of the way with a strange woman, and take another woman in your arms?

21 For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he puts all his goings in the scales.

22 The evil-doer will be taken in the net of his crimes, and prisoned in the cords of his sin.

23 He will come to his end for need of teaching; he is so foolish that he will go wandering from the right way.