1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen carefully as I explain what makes sense, 2 so you can make good decisions and protect knowledge with your lips.* “Protect knowledge in what you say”: literally, “your lips will guard knowledge.” 3 For the lips of an immoral woman may taste as sweet as honey, the kisses of her mouth may be as smooth as oil, 4 but in the end what you get from her is the bitterness of wormwood and the sharp pain of being cut with a two-edged sword. 5 She leads you down to death; she takes you down to the grave. 6 She doesn't follow the path that leads to life—she wanders away and doesn't even know she's lost.

7 Now, my son,† The Hebrew has the plural “sons” here, but for the rest of the chapter uses singular pronouns, so “son” is used here, following the Septuagint and the Vulgate. listen to me; don't reject what I have taught you. 8 Stay far away from her! Don't go near the door of her house! 9 Otherwise you'll surrender your honor to others, and your character to cruel people. 10 Strangers will spend your wealth; everything you've worked for will go to someone else. 11 When you come to the end of your life you'll moan in pain as disease destroys your body. 12 You'll say, “How I used to hate discipline, and my mind rebelled against being corrected! 13 I didn't listen to what my teacher said. I didn't pay attention to my instructors. 14 Now I'm on the verge of being completely disgraced before everyone in the community.”

15 Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.‡ This whole section uses imagery to make the point that husbands and wives should be faithful to each other. 16 Why should your springs be spilled outside, your streams of water poured out in the streets? 17 Keep them for yourselves alone. They're not for you to share with strangers. 18 May your spring of water be blessed, and may you enjoy the wife you married when you were young. 19 May she be to you a loving deer, a graceful doe. May her breasts always be intoxicating to you; may you be drunk on her love forever. 20 Why, my son, become intoxicated with an immoral woman? Why embrace the breasts of a woman who acts like a prostitute? 21 For the Lord sees everything people do, the Lord investigates everywhere they go.

22 The wicked are trapped by their evil actions; the cords of their sins tie them up. 23 They will die because they lack self-control, lost because of their great stupidity.