1 My son, perceive thou my wisdom, and bow down thine ear to my prudence; (My son, pay attention to my wisdom, and listen to my understanding of things;)
2 (so) that thou keep thy thoughts (proper), and thy lips keep teaching (or and thy lips speak knowingly).
3 Give thou not attention to the falseness of a woman; for the lips of an whore be an honeycomb dropping (or for a whore’s lipsbe like a dripping honeycomb), and her throat is clearer than oil;
4 but the last things of her be (as) bitter as wormwood, and her tongue is (as) sharp as a sword carving, (or cutting), on each side.
5 Her feet go down into death; and her steps pierce to hells. (Her feet go downward unto death; and her steps shall lead thee unto Sheol, or the land of the dead, or and her steps shall lead thee to hell.)
6 Those go not by the path of life; her steps be uncertain, and may not be sought out. (They do not go on the path of life; her steps be uncertain, and should not be followed.)
7 Now therefore, my son, hear thou me, (or And so now, my son, listen to me), and go thou not away from the words of my mouth.
8 Make far thy way from her (or Make thy way far away from her), and nigh thou not to the doors of her house.
9 Give thou not thine honour to aliens (or Give thou not thy honour to strangers), and thy years to the cruel;
10 lest peradventure strangers be filled with thy strengths, and lest (the rewards of) thy travails be in an alien’s house; (lest perhaps strangers take all thy wealth, and the rewards of all thy efforts be in someone else’s house;)