Study Desk

My son, keep my sayings, and, my commandments, treasure by thee;

Keep my commandments and live, and mine instruction, as the pupil of thine eye;

Bind them upon thy fingers, write them, on the tablet of thy heart;

Say unto wisdom, My sister, thou! and, an acquaintance, call thou, understanding:

That thou mayest be kept, from the woman that is a stranger, from the female unknown, who, with her speeches, doth flatter.

For, in the window of my house, through my lattice, I looked out;

And saw among the simple ones, discerned among the youths, A young man lacking sense;

Passing through the street, near her corner, and, on the way to her house, he sauntered along;

In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the midst of the night, and the gloom;

And lo! a woman, came to meet him, attired as one unchaste, of a wily heart.

Boisterous, is she, and rebellious, In her house, abide not her feet;

Now outside, now in the broadways, and, near every corner, she lieth in wait:

So she caught him, and kissed him, and, embolding her face, she said to him:

Peace-offerings, are by me, to-day, have I paid my vows;

For this cause, came I forth to meet thee, to seek diligently thy face, and I have found thee:

Coverlets, have I spread on my couch of pleasure, dark-hued stuffs, of the yarn of Egypt;

I have sprinkled my bed, with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon:

Come! let us take our fill of endearments, until morning, let us delight ourselves with caresses;

For the husband is not in his house, he hath gone on a journey afar;

A bag of silver, hath he taken in his hand, On the day of the full moon, will he enter his house.

She turneth him aside, with her great persuasiveness, - with the flattery of her lips, she compelleth him:

Going after her instantly, as an ox, to the slaughter, he entereth, and, as in fetters, unto the correction of a fool.

Until an arrow cleaveth his liver, as a bird hasteth into a snare, and knoweth not, that, for his life, it is!

Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend, to the sayings of my mouth;

Let not thy heart, turn aside to her ways, Do not go astray, in her paths.

For, many, wounded, hath she caused to fail, - yea strong men, slain wholly by her:

Ways to hades, are in her house, descending into the chambers of death.