Bible Reading Plan

¹ My son, obey my words,
and treasure my commands.^(a)
2 Keep my commands and live;^(b)
protect my teachings
as the pupil of your eye.^(c)
3 Tie them to your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.^(d)
4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"^(e)
and call understanding your relative.
⁵ She will keep you from a forbidden woman,
a stranger with her flattering talk.^(f)

⁶ At the window of my house
I looked through my lattice.^(g)
7 I saw among the inexperienced,^[a]
I noticed among the youths,
a young man lacking sense.
⁸ Crossing the street near her corner,
he strolled down the road to her house
⁹ at twilight, in the evening,
in the dark of the night.^(h)
10 A woman came to meet him
dressed like a prostitute,⁽ⁱ⁾
having a hidden agenda.^[b]
11 She is loud and defiant;^(j)
her feet do not stay at home.^(k)
12 Now in the street, now in the squares,^(l)
she lurks at every corner.^(m)
13 She grabs him and kisses him;
she brazenly says^[c] to him,
¹⁴ "I've made fellowship offerings;^[d]
today I've fulfilled my vows.^(n)
15 So I came out to meet you,
to search for you, and I've found you.
¹⁶ I've spread coverings on my bed^(o)—
richly colored linen from Egypt.^(p)
17 I've perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.^(q)
18 Come, let's drink deeply of lovemaking until morning.^(r)
Let's feast on each other's love!
¹⁹ My husband isn't home;
he went on a long journey.
²⁰ He took a bag of money with him
and will come home at the time of the full moon."
²¹ She seduces him with her persistent pleading;
she lures with her flattering^[e] talk.
²² He follows her impulsively
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer bounding toward a trap^[f]
23 until an arrow pierces its^[g] liver,^(s)
like a bird darting into a snare^(t)—
he doesn't know it will cost him his life.

²⁴ Now, my sons, listen to me,
and pay attention to the words of my mouth.
²⁵ Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways;
don't stray onto her paths.^(u)
26 For she has brought many down to death;
her victims are countless.^[h]
27 Her house is the road to Sheol,
descending to the chambers of death.^(v)