| King James Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. | 1Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands. |
| 2Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. | 2Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes. |
| 3Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. | 3Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. |
| 4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: | 4Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family. |
| 5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. | 5Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman. |
| 6For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, | 6While I was at the window of my house, looking through the curtain, |
| 7And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, | 7I saw some naive young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense. |
| 8Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, | 8He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house. |
| 9In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: | 9It was at twilight, in the evening, as deep darkness fell. |
| 10And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. | 10The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart. |
| 11(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: | 11She was the brash, rebellious type, never content to stay at home. |
| 12Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) | 12She is often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner. |
| 13So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, | 13She threw her arms around him and kissed him, and with a brazen look she said, |
| 14I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. | 14“I’ve just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows. |
| 15Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. | 15You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are! |
| 16I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. | 16My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen. |
| 17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. | 17I’ve perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. |
| 18Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. | 18Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning. Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses, |
| 19For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: | 19for my husband is not home. He’s away on a long trip. |
| 20He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. | 20He has taken a wallet full of money with him and won’t return until later this month. ” |
| 21With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. | 21So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery. |
| 22He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; | 22He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap, |
| 23Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. | 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. |
| 24Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. | 24So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words. |
| 25Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. | 25Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path. |
| 26For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. | 26For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. |
| 27Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. | 27Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | 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. |
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