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The Wiles of the Prostitute

¹ My son, ^(C1)keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you so they are readily available to guide you.

^2 (C1)Keep my commandments and live,
And keep my teaching and law ^(C2)as the apple of your eye.

^3 (C1)Bind them securely on your fingers;
^(C2)Write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴ Say to skillful and godly wisdom, "You are my sister,"
And regard understanding and intelligent insight as your intimate friends;

⁵ That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the foreigner who does not observe God's laws and who flatters with her smooth words.

⁶ For ^(C1)at the window of my house
I looked out ^(C2)through my lattice.

⁷ And among the ^(C1)naive the inexperienced and gullible,
I saw among the youths
A young man ^(C2)lacking good sense,

⁸ Passing through the street near ^(C1)her corner;
And he took the path to ^(C2)her house

⁹ In the ^(C1)twilight, in the evening;
In the black and dark night.

¹⁰ And there a woman met him,
^(C1)Dressed as a prostitute and sly and cunning of heart.

¹¹ She was ^(C1)boisterous and rebellious;
^(F1)She ^(C2)would not stay at home.

¹² At times she was in the streets, at times ^(C1)in the market places,
^(C2)Lurking and setting her ambush at every corner.

¹³ So she caught him and kissed him
And with a ^(C1)brazen and impudent face she said to him:

¹⁴ "I have ^(C1)peace offerings with me;
Today I have ^(C2)paid my vows.

¹⁵ "So I came out to meet you that you might share with me the feast of my offering,
Diligently I sought your face and I have found you.

¹⁶ "I have spread my couch with ^(C1)coverings and cushions of tapestry,
With colored ^(C2)fine linen of Egypt.

¹⁷ "I have perfumed my bed
With ^(C1)myrrh, aloes, and ^(C2)cinnamon.

¹⁸ "Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning;
Let us console and delight ourselves with love.

¹⁹ "For my husband is not at home.
He has gone on a long journey;

²⁰ He has taken a ^(C1)bag of money with him,
And he will come home on the appointed day."

²¹ With her many persuasions she caused him to yield;
With her ^(C1)flattering lips she seduced him.

²² Suddenly he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter not knowing the outcome,
Or as one in stocks going to the correction to be given to a fool,

²³ Until an arrow pierced his liver with a mortal wound;
Like a ^(C1)bird fluttering straight into the net,
He did not know that it would cost him his life.

^24 (C1)Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.

²⁵ Do not let your heart ^(C1)turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her evil, immoral paths.

²⁶ For she has cast down many mortally wounded;
Indeed, ^(C1)all who were killed by her were strong. ^(VR1)

²⁷ Her ^(C1)house is the way to ^(F1)Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death. ^(VR1)