- 1
- My sonne, keepe my words, and lay vp my commaundements with thee.
- 2
- Keepe my commandements, and liue: and my law as the apple of thine eye.
- 3
- Bind them vpon thy fingers, write them vpon the table of thine heart.
- 4
- Say vnto Wisedome, Thou art my sister, and call Understanding thy kinse woman,
- 5
- That they may keepe thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
- 6
- For at the windowe of my house I looked through my casement,
- 7
- And behelde among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a yong man void of vnderstanding,
- 8
- Passing through the streete neere her corner, and he went the way to her house,
- 9
- In the twilight in the euening, in the blacke and darke night:
- 10
- And behold, there met him a woman, with the attire of an harlot, and subtill of heart.
- 11
- (She is loud and stubburne, her feet abide not in her house:
- 12
- Now is shee without, now in the streetes, and lieth in waite at euery corner.)
- 13
- So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face, said vnto him,
- 14
- I haue peace offerings with me: this day haue I paid my vowes.
- 15
- Therefore came I forth to meete thee, diligently to seeke thy face, and I haue found thee.
- 16
- I haue deckt my bed with couerings of tapestrie, with carued workes, with fine linnen of Egypt.
- 17
- I haue perfumed my bed with myrrhe, aloes, and cynamom.
- 18
- Come, let vs take our fill of loue vntill the morning, let vs solace our selues with loues.
- 19
- For the good-man is not at home, he is gone a long iourney.
- 20
- He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
- 21
- With much faire speech she caused him to yeeld, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
- 22
- He goeth after her straightway, as an oxe goeth to the slaughter, or as a foole to the correction of the stocks,
- 23
- Til a dart strike through his liuer, as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
- 24
- Hearken vnto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
- 25
- Let not thine heart decline to her wayes, goe not astray in her paths.
- 26
- For shee hath cast downe many wounded: yea many strong men haue bene slaine by her.
- 27
- Her house is the way to hell, going downe to the chambers of death.
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