¹⁶ Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,^(A)
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
¹⁷ who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.^[a](B)
18 Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.^(C)

⁸ Keep to a path far from her,^(A)
    do not go near the door of her house,
⁹ lest you lose your honor to others
    and your dignity^[a] to one who is cruel,
¹⁰ lest strangers feast on your wealth
    and your toil enrich the house of another.^(B)
11 At the end of your life you will groan,
    when your flesh and body are spent.
¹² You will say, “How I hated discipline!
    How my heart spurned correction!^(C)
13 I would not obey my teachers
    or turn my ear to my instructors.

⁶ At the window of my house
    I looked down through the lattice.
⁷ I saw among the simple,
    I noticed among the young men,
    a youth who had no sense.^(A)
8 He was going down the street near her corner,
    walking along in the direction of her house
⁹ at twilight,^(B) as the day was fading,
    as the dark of night set in.

¹⁰ Then out came a woman to meet him,
    dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
¹¹ (She is unruly^(C) and defiant,
    her feet never stay at home;
¹² now in the street, now in the squares,
    at every corner she lurks.)^(D)
13 She took hold of him^(E) and kissed him
    and with a brazen face she said:^(F)

¹⁴ “Today I fulfilled my vows,
    and I have food from my fellowship offering^(G) at home.
¹⁵ So I came out to meet you;
    I looked for you and have found you!
¹⁶ I have covered my bed
    with colored linens from Egypt.
¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed^(H)
    with myrrh,^(I) aloes and cinnamon.
¹⁸ Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
    let’s enjoy ourselves with love!^(J)
19 My husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey.
²⁰ He took his purse filled with money
    and will not be home till full moon.”

²¹ With persuasive words she led him astray;
    she seduced him with her smooth talk.^(K)
22 All at once he followed her
    like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer^[a] stepping into a noose^[b](L)
23     till an arrow pierces^(M) his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
    little knowing it will cost him his life.^(N)

²⁴ Now then, my sons, listen^(O) to me;
    pay attention to what I say.
²⁵ Do not let your heart turn to her ways
    or stray into her paths.^(P)
26 Many are the victims she has brought down;
    her slain are a mighty throng.
²⁷ Her house is a highway to the grave,
    leading down to the chambers of death.^(Q)