[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.