1 Filho meu, guarda as minhas palavras

e conserva dentro de ti os meus mandamentos.

2 Guarda os meus mandamentos e vive;

e a minha lei, como a menina dos teus olhos.

3 Ata-os aos dedos,

escreve-os na tábua do teu coração.

4 Dize à Sabedoria: Tu és minha irmã;

e ao Entendimento chama teu parente;

5 para te guardarem da mulher alheia,

da estranha que lisonjeia com palavras.

6 Porque da janela da minha casa,

por minhas grades, olhando eu,

7 vi entre os simples, descobri entre os jovens

um que era carecente de juízo,

8 que ia e vinha pela rua junto à esquina da mulher estranha

e seguia o caminho da sua casa,

9 à tarde do dia, no crepúsculo,

na escuridão da noite, nas trevas.

10 Eis que a mulher lhe sai ao encontro,

com vestes de prostituta e astuta de coração.

11 É apaixonada e inquieta,

cujos pés não param em casa;

12 ora está nas ruas, ora, nas praças,

espreitando por todos os cantos.

13 Aproximou-se dele, e o beijou,

e de cara impudente lhe diz:

14 Sacrifícios pacíficos tinha eu de oferecer;

paguei hoje os meus votos.

15 Por isso, saí ao teu encontro,

a buscar-te, e te achei.

16 Já cobri de colchas a minha cama,

de linho fino do Egito, de várias cores;

17 já perfumei o meu leito com mirra,

aloés e cinamomo.

18 Vem, embriaguemo-nos com as delícias do amor, até pela manhã;

gozemos amores.

19 Porque o meu marido não está em casa,

saiu de viagem para longe.

20 Levou consigo um saquitel de dinheiro;

só por volta da lua cheia ele tornará para casa.

21 Seduziu-o com as suas muitas palavras,

com as lisonjas dos seus lábios o arrastou.

22 E ele num instante a segue,

como o boi que vai ao matadouro;

como o cervo que corre para a rede,

23 até que a flecha lhe atravesse o coração;

como a ave que se apressa para o laço,

sem saber que isto lhe custará a vida.

24 Agora, pois, filho, dá-me ouvidos

e sê atento às palavras da minha boca;

25 não se desvie o teu coração para os caminhos dela,

e não andes perdido nas suas veredas;

26 porque a muitos feriu e derribou;

e são muitos os que por ela foram mortos.

27 A sua casa é caminho para a sepultura

e desce para as câmaras da morte.

1 My son, keep my words,

And lay up my commandments with thee.

2 Keep my commandments and live;

And my law as the apple of thine eye.

3 Bind them upon thy fingers;

Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.

4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister;

And call understanding thy kinswoman:

5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman,

From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.

6 For at the window of my house

I looked forth through my lattice;

7 And I beheld among the simple ones,

I discerned among the youths,

A young man void of understanding,

8 Passing through the street near her corner;

And he went the way to her house,

9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day,

In the middle of the night and in the darkness.

10 And, behold, there met him a woman

With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.

11 (She is clamorous and wilful;

Her feet abide not in her house:

12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places,

And lieth in wait at every corner.)

13 So she caught him, and kissed him,

And with an impudent face she said unto him:

14 Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me;

This day have I paid my vows.

15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee,

Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry,

With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.

17 I have perfumed my bed

With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning;

Let us solace ourselves with loves.

19 For the man is not at home;

He is gone a long journey:

20 He hath taken a bag of money with him;

He will come home at the full moon.

21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield;

With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.

22 He goeth after her straightway,

As an ox goeth to the slaughter,

Or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;

23 Till an arrow strike through his liver;

As a bird hasteth to the snare,

And knoweth not that it is for his life.

24 Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me,

And attend to the words of my mouth.

25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways;

Go not astray in her paths.

26 For she hath cast down many wounded:

Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.

27 Her house is the way to Sheol,

Going down to the chambers of death.

1 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.

2 Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and to insight, "You are my relative."

5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words.

6 At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice.

7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense.

8 He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house

9 at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.

10 Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.

11 (She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home;

12 now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.)

13 She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said:

14 "Today I fulfilled my vows, and I have food from my fellowship offering at home.

15 So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!

16 I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt.

17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

18 Come, let's drink deeply of love till morning; let's enjoy ourselves with love!

19 My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.

20 He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon."

21 With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.

22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer "stepping into a noose [^2]

23 till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.

24 Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.

25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.

26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.

27 Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.