我儿，你要遵守我的言语，将我的诫命珍藏在你里面。
My son, keep my words, / And treasure up my commandments within you.

要遵守我的诫命，就得存活；保守我的指教，好像保守眼中的瞳人。
Keep my commandments, and live; / And my teaching, like the pupil of your eye.

系在你指头上，写在你心版上。
Bind them on your fingers; / Write them on the tablet of your heart.

要对智慧说，你是我的姊妹，要称呼聪明为密友，
Say to wisdom, You are my sister, / And call understanding your close friend,

好保守你远离淫妇，远离说谄媚话的外女。
That they may keep you from the strange woman, / From the adulteress who flatters with her words.

我曾在我房屋的窗户内，从我窗棂之间往外观看，
For at the window of my house / I looked out through my lattice,

见愚蒙人内，少年人中，分明有一个无知的少年人，
And I saw among the simple ones, / I discerned among the youths, / A young man lacking sense,

从街上经过，走近淫妇的巷口，步上通往她家的路，
Passing along the street near her corner; / And he takes the way to her house,

在黄昏，或晚上，或半夜，或黑暗之中。
In the twilight, in the evening of the day, / In the deep of night and darkness.

有一个妇人来迎接他，是妓女的打扮，心怀诡诈。
And there comes a woman to meet him, / Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart.

这妇人喧嚷，任性不羁，在家里停不住脚──
She is rowdy and defiant; / Her feet do not stay at home —

有时在街市上，有时在宽阔处，或在各巷口蹲伏等候；
Now in the street, now in the squares, / And at every corner she lies in wait.

她拉住那少年人，与他亲嘴，厚颜无耻地对他说，
And she grabs him and kisses him; / And with an impudent face she says to him,

我原要献祭，今日才还了所许的愿。
I had to make offerings; / Today I have paid my vows.

因此，我出来迎接你，恳切要见你的面，果然遇见了你。
Therefore I have come out to meet you, / To earnestly seek your presence; and I have found you.

我已经用毯子和埃及细麻织的花纹布，铺了我的床；
I have decked my couch with coverings, / Colored spreads of the linen of Egypt;

我又用没药、沉香、桂皮，薰了我的榻。
I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, / Aloes, and cinnamon.

你来，我们可以饱尝爱情，直到早晨；我们可以彼此亲爱欢乐。
Come, let us drink our fill of love until the morning; / Let us delight ourselves with love.

因为我丈夫不在家，出门行远路。
For my husband is not at home; / He has gone on a long journey.

他手拿银囊，到月望才回家。
He has taken the money bag with him; / He will come home at the full moon.

淫妇用许多花言巧语诱惑他，用谄媚的话哄逼他。
With her great persuasiveness she beguiles him; / With her smooth talk she compels him.

少年人立刻跟随她，好像牛往宰杀之地，又像人带着锁链去受愚妄人受的惩治，
He goes after her immediately, / As an ox goes to the slaughter, / Or as someone in fetters, to the correction of the fool,

直到箭穿他的肝；他如同雀鸟急投网罗，并不知这会自丧己命。
Until an arrow pierces through his liver. / As a bird hastens to the snare, / So he does not know that this will cost him his life.

众子啊，现在要听从我，留心听我口中的话。
And now, my sons, listen to me, / And pay attention to the words of my mouth.

你的心不可偏向淫妇的道路，不要迷入她的途径。
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; / Do not stray into her paths.

因为被她伤害仆倒的不少，被她杀戮的甚多。
For many are those whom she has brought down wounded, / And numerous are all who have been slain by her.

她的家是通往阴间的道路，下到死亡的密宫。
Her house is the way to Sheol, / Going down to the chambers of death.