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7
1 My son, keep my words, And treasure up my commandments with thee! 2 Keep my commandments and live! Yea, my teaching, as the apple of thine eye! 3 Bind them upon thy fingers, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart! 4 Say unto wisdom, “Thou art my sister!” And call understanding thy near acquaintance; 5 That they may keep thee from the wife of another, From the stranger, that useth smooth words. 6 For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth, 7 And I saw among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding. 8 He was passing through the street near her corner, And was going the way to her house, 9 At twilight, in the evening, At midnight, yea, in the thick darkness. 10 And, behold, a woman met him, In the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart,— 11 One noisy and unruly, Whose feet abide not in her house; 12 Who is now in the streets, now in the broad places, And lurketh near every corner. 13 She caught hold of him and kissed him, And with a shameless face said to him, 14 “Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed my vows; 15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee,—Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee! 16 I have spread my bed with coverlets, With tapestry of the thread of Egypt. 17 I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with caresses. 19 For the good-man is not at home; He is gone a long journey; 20 He hath taken a purse of money with him; At the day of the full moon he will return.” 21 By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away. 22 He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the chastisement of the fool, 23 Till an arrow strike through his liver;—As a bird hasteneth into the snare, And knoweth not that it is laid for its life. 24 Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me, And attend to the words of my mouth! 25 Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways; Go not astray in her paths! 26 For many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her. 27 Her house is the way to the under-world, Leading down to the chambers of death.

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