Warnings about the Adulteress

1  בְּ֭נִי (My son), שְׁמֹ֣ר (keep) אֲמָרָ֑י (my words),

וּ֝מִצְוֺתַ֗י (and my commands) תִּצְפֹּ֥ן (treasure) אִתָּֽךְ׃ (within you).

2  שְׁמֹ֣ר (Guard) מִצְוֺתַ֣י (my commands) וֶחְיֵ֑ה (and live),

וְ֝תוֹרָתִ֗י (and my instruction) כְּאִישׁ֥וֹן (like the pupil) עֵינֶֽיךָ׃ (of your eyes).

3  קָשְׁרֵ֥ם (Bind them) עַל־ (on) אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ (your fingers);

כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם (write them) עַל־ (on) ל֥וּחַ (the tablet) לִבֶּֽךָ׃ (of your heart).

4  אֱמֹ֣ר (Say) לַֽ֭חָכְמָה (to wisdom), אֲחֹ֣תִי (My sister) אָ֑תְּ (you are),

וּ֝מֹדָ֗ע (and Kinsman) לַבִּינָ֥ה (to understanding) תִקְרָֽא׃ (Call out),

5  לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ (to guard you) מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה (from the woman) זָרָ֑ה (strange),

מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה (from a foreign woman) אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ (her words) הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃ (who has made smooth).

6  כִּ֭י (For) בְּחַלּ֣וֹן (at the window) בֵּיתִ֑י (of my house)

בְּעַ֖ד (through) אֶשְׁנַבִּ֣י (my lattice) נִשְׁקָֽפְתִּי׃ (I have looked).

7  וָאֵ֤רֶא (And I have looked) בַפְּתָאיִ֗ם (among the simple),

אָ֘בִ֤ינָה (and discerned) בַבָּנִ֗ים (among the sons),

נַ֣עַר (a young man) חֲסַר־ (lacking) לֵֽב׃ (heart),

8  עֹבֵ֣ר (passing by) בַּ֭שּׁוּק (on the street) אֵ֣צֶל (near) פִּנָּ֑הּ (her corner),

וְדֶ֖רֶךְ (and the way) בֵּיתָ֣הּ (of her house) יִצְעָֽד׃ (he steps in).

9  בְּנֶֽשֶׁף־ (In the twilight), בְּעֶ֥רֶב (in the evening) י֑וֹם (of the day),

בְּאִישׁ֥וֹן (in the pupil) לַ֝֗יְלָה (of night) וַאֲפֵלָֽה׃ (and darkness).

10  וְהִנֵּ֣ה (And behold) אִ֭שָּׁה (a woman) לִקְרָאת֑וֹ (to meet him)—

שִׁ֥ית (in the garment) ז֝וֹנָ֗ה (of a prostitute) וּנְצֻ֥רַת (and guarded) לֵֽב׃ (of heart).

11  הֹמִיָּ֣ה (Roaring) הִ֣יא (she is) וְסֹרָ֑רֶת (and rebellious);

בְּ֝בֵיתָ֗הּ (in her house) לֹא־ (not) יִשְׁכְּנ֥וּ (do dwell) רַגְלֶֽיהָ׃ (her feet).

12  פַּ֤עַם׀ (Once) בַּח֗וּץ (in the street), פַּ֥עַם (once) בָּרְחֹב֑וֹת (in the open squares),

וְאֵ֖צֶל (and beside) כָּל־ (every) פִּנָּ֣ה (corner) תֶאֱרֹֽב׃ (she lies in wait).

13  וְהֶחֱזִ֣יקָה (And she laid hold) בּ֭וֹ (on him) וְנָ֣שְׁקָה־ (and kissed) לּ֑וֹ (him)

הֵעֵ֥זָה (she has hardened) פָ֝נֶ֗יהָ (her face) וַתֹּ֣אמַר (and said) לֽוֹ׃ (to him):

14  זִבְחֵ֣י (Sacrifices) שְׁלָמִ֣ים (of peace offerings) עָלָ֑י (are by me);

הַ֝יּ֗וֹם (this day) שִׁלַּ֥מְתִּי (I have paid) נְדָרָֽי׃ (my vows).

15  עַל־ (Upon) כֵּ֭ן (thus) יָצָ֣אתִי (I have come out) לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ (to meet you),

לְשַׁחֵ֥ר (to earnestly seek) פָּ֝נֶ֗יךָ (your face), וָאֶמְצָאֶֽךָּ׃ (and I have found you).

16  מַ֭רְבַדִּים (With coverings) רָבַ֣דְתִּי (I have spread) עַרְשִׂ֑י (my couch),

חֲ֝טֻב֗וֹת (with colored) אֵט֥וּן (linen) מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (of Egypt).

17  נַ֥פְתִּי (I have sprinkled) מִשְׁכָּבִ֑י (my bed) מֹ֥ר (with myrrh),

אֲ֝הָלִ֗ים (aloes) וְקִנָּמֽוֹן׃ (and cinnamon).

18  לְכָ֤ה (Come), נִרְוֶ֣ה (let us take our fill) דֹ֭דִים (of love) עַד־ (until) הַבֹּ֑קֶר (the morning);

נִ֝תְעַלְּסָ֗ה (let us delight ourselves) בָּאֳהָבִֽים׃ (with loves).

19  כִּ֤י (For) אֵ֣ין (not is) הָאִ֣ישׁ (the husband) בְּבֵית֑וֹ (in his house);

הָ֝לַ֗ךְ (he has gone) בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ (on a road) מֵרָחֽוֹק׃ (far away).

20  צְֽרוֹר־ (A bag) הַ֭כֶּסֶף (of silver) לָקַ֣ח (he has taken) בְּיָד֑וֹ (with him)

לְי֥וֹם (on the day) הַ֝כֵּ֗סֶא (of the full moon) יָבֹ֥א (he will enter) בֵיתֽוֹ׃ (his house).

21  הִ֭טַּתּוּ (She turns him aside) בְּרֹ֣ב (with the abundance) לִקְחָ֑הּ (of her speech),

בְּחֵ֥לֶק (with the smoothness) שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יהָ (of her lips) תַּדִּיחֶֽנּוּ׃ (she compels him).

22  ה֤וֹלֵ֥ךְ (Going) אַחֲרֶ֗יהָ (after her) פִּ֫תְאֹ֥ם (suddenly),

כְּ֭שׁוֹר (as an ox) אֶל־ (to) טָ֣בַח (the slaughter) יָב֑וֹא (he comes),

וּ֝כְעֶ֗כֶס (and like an ankle chain) אֶל־ (to) מוּסַ֥ר (the correction of) אֱוִֽיל׃ (a fool).

23  עַ֤ד (Until) יְפַלַּ֪ח (splits) חֵ֡ץ (an arrow) כְּֽבֵד֗וֹ (his liver),

כְּמַהֵ֣ר (like the hurrying of) צִפּ֣וֹר (a bird) אֶל־ (to) פָּ֑ח (the snare),

וְלֹֽא־ (and not) יָ֝דַ֗ע (did he know) כִּֽי־ (that) בְנַפְשׁ֥וֹ (was for his soul) הֽוּא׃פ (it).

24  וְעַתָּ֣ה (And now), בָ֭נִים (sons), שִׁמְעוּ־ (listen) לִ֑י (to me),

וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ (and attend) לְאִמְרֵי־ (to the words) פִֽי׃ (of my mouth).

25  אַל־ (Do not) יֵ֣שְׂטְ (let turn aside) אֶל־ (to) דְּרָכֶ֣יהָ (her ways) לִבֶּ֑ךָ (your heart);

אַל־ (not) תֵּ֝תַע (do stray) בִּנְתִיבוֹתֶֽיהָ׃ (into her paths).

26  כִּֽי־ (For) רַבִּ֣ים (many) חֲלָלִ֣ים (wounded ones) הִפִּ֑ילָה (she has made fall);

וַ֝עֲצֻמִ֗ים (and numerous) כָּל־ (are all) הֲרֻגֶֽיהָ׃ (her slain ones).

27  דַּרְכֵ֣י (The way to) שְׁא֣וֹל (Sheol) בֵּיתָ֑הּ (is her house),

יֹ֝רְד֗וֹת (going down) אֶל־ (to) חַדְרֵי־ (the chambers) מָֽוֶת׃פ (of death).