1 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

1 ¶ My son, attend unto my wisdom;
Incline thine ear to my understanding:

2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

2 ¶ That thou mayest preserve discretion,
And that thy lips may keep knowledge.

3 ¶ For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

3 ¶ For the lips of a strange woman drop honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil:

4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.

4 ¶ But her latter end is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

5 ¶ Her feet go down to death;
Her steps take hold on Sheol;

6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

6 ¶ So that she findeth not the level path of life:
Her ways are unstable and she knoweth it not.

7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

7 ¶ Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me,
And depart not from the words of my mouth.

8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

8 ¶ Remove thy way far from her,
And come not nigh the door of her house:

9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

9 ¶ Lest thou give thine honour unto others,
And thy years unto the cruel:

10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

10 ¶ Lest strangers be filled with thy strength;
And thy labours be in the house of an alien;

11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

11 ¶ And thou mourn at thy latter end,
When thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

12 ¶ And say, How have I hated instruction,
And my heart despised reproof;

13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

13 ¶ Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

14 ¶ I was well nigh in all evil
In the midst of the congregation and assembly.

15 ¶ Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

15 ¶ Drink waters out of thine own cistern,
And running waters out of thine own well.

16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

16 ¶ Should thy springs be dispersed abroad,
And rivers of water in the streets?

17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

17 ¶ Let them be for thyself alone,
And not for strangers with thee.

18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

18 ¶ Let thy fountain be blessed;
And rejoice in the wife of thy youth.

19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

19 ¶ As a loving hind and a pleasant doe,
Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times;
And be thou ravished always with her love.

20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

20 ¶ For why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman,
And embrace the bosom of a stranger?

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.

21 ¶ For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And he maketh level all his paths.

22 ¶ His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

22 ¶ His own iniquities shall take the wicked,
And he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.

23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

23 ¶ He shall die for lack of instruction;
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.