| 1 υιε φυλασσε εμους λογους τας δε εμας εντολας κρυψον παρα σεαυτω [1α] υιε τιμα τον κυριον και ισχυσεις πλην δε αυτου μη φοβου αλλον | 1 My child, keep my words, and treasure my precepts, |
| 2 φυλαξον εμας εντολας και βιωσεις τους δε εμους λογους ωσπερ κορας ομματων | 2 keep my precepts and you wil live, keep my teaching as the apple of your eye. |
| 3 περιθου δε αυτους σοις δακτυλοις επιγραψον δε επι το πλατος της καρδιας σου | 3 Bind these to your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart. |
| 4 ειπον την σοφιαν σην αδελφην ειναι την δε φρονησιν γνωριμον περιποιησαι σεαυτω | 4 Say to Wisdom, 'You are my sister!' Cal Understanding your relation, |
| 5 ινα σε τηρηση απο γυναικος αλλοτριας και πονηρας εαν σε λογοις τοις προς χαριν εμβαληται | 5 to save yourself from the woman that belongs to another, from the stranger, with her seductive words. |
| 6 απο γαρ θυριδος εκ του οικου αυτης εις τας πλατειας παρακυπτουσα | 6 While I was at the window of my house, I was looking out through the lattice |
| 7 ον αν ιδη των αφρονων τεκνων νεανιαν ενδεη φρενων | 7 and I saw, among the cal ow youths, I noticed among the lads, one boy who had no sense. |
| 8 παραπορευομενον παρα γωνιαν εν διοδοις οικων αυτης | 8 Going along the lane, near the corner where she lives, he reaches the path to her house, |
| 9 και λαλουντα εν σκοτει εσπερινω ηνικα αν ησυχια νυκτερινη η και γνοφωδης | 9 at twilight when day is declining, at dead of night and in the dark. |
| 10 η δε γυνη συναντα αυτω ειδος εχουσα πορνικον η ποιει νεων εξιπτασθαι καρδιας | 10 And look, a woman is coming to meet him, dressed like a prostitute, false of heart. |
| 11 ανεπτερωμενη δε εστιν και ασωτος εν οικω δε ουχ ησυχαζουσιν οι ποδες αυτης | 11 She is loud and brazen; her feet cannot rest at home. |
| 12 χρονον γαρ τινα εξω ρεμβεται χρονον δε εν πλατειαις παρα πασαν γωνιαν ενεδρευει | 12 Once in the street, once in the square, she lurks at every corner. |
| 13 ειτα επιλαβομενη εφιλησεν αυτον αναιδει δε προσωπω προσειπεν αυτω | 13 She catches hold of him, she kisses him, the bold-faced creature says to him, |
| 14 θυσια ειρηνικη μοι εστιν σημερον αποδιδωμι τας ευχας μου | 14 'I had to offer a communion sacrifice, I have discharged my vows today; |
| 15 ενεκα τουτου εξηλθον εις συναντησιν σοι ποθουσα το σον προσωπον ευρηκα σε | 15 that is why I came out to meet you, to look for you, and now I have found you. |
| 16 κειριαις τετακα την κλινην μου αμφιταποις δε εστρωκα τοις απ' αιγυπτου | 16 I have spread coverlets over my divan, embroidered stuff, Egyptian material, |
| 17 διερραγκα την κοιτην μου κροκω τον δε οικον μου κινναμωμω | 17 I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, with aloes and cinnamon. |
| 18 ελθε και απολαυσωμεν φιλιας εως ορθρου δευρο και εγκυλισθωμεν ερωτι | 18 Come on, we'l make love as much as we like, till morning. Let us enjoy the delights of love! |
| 19 ου γαρ παρεστιν ο ανηρ μου εν οικω πεπορευται δε οδον μακραν | 19 For my husband is not at home, he has gone on a very long journey, |
| 20 ενδεσμον αργυριου λαβων εν χειρι αυτου δι' ημερων πολλων επανηξει εις τον οικον αυτου | 20 taking his moneybags with him; he wil not be back til the moon is ful .' |
| 21 απεπλανησεν δε αυτον πολλη ομιλια βροχοις τε τοις απο χειλεων εξωκειλεν αυτον | 21 With her persistent coaxing she overcomes him, lures him on with her wheedling patter. |
| 22 ο δε επηκολουθησεν αυτη κεπφωθεις ωσπερ δε βους επι σφαγην αγεται και ωσπερ κυων επι δεσμους | 22 Forthwith he fol ows her, like an ox on its way to the slaughterhouse, like a madman on his way to thestocks, |
| 23 η ως ελαφος τοξευματι πεπληγως εις το ηπαρ σπευδει δε ωσπερ ορνεον εις παγιδα ουκ ειδως οτι περι ψυχης τρεχει | 23 until an arrow pierces him to the liver, like the bird that dashes into the net without realising that its lifeis at stake. |
| 24 νυν ουν υιε ακουε μου και προσεχε ρημασιν στοματος μου | 24 And now, son, listen to me, pay attention to the words I have to say: |
| 25 μη εκκλινατω εις τας οδους αυτης η καρδια σου | 25 do not let your heart stray into her ways, or wander into her paths; |
| 26 πολλους γαρ τρωσασα καταβεβληκεν και αναριθμητοι εισιν ους πεφονευκεν | 26 she has done so many to death, and the strongest have al been her victims. |
| 27 οδοι αδου ο οικος αυτης καταγουσαι εις τα ταμιεια του θανατου | 27 Her house is the way to Sheol, the descent to the courts of death. |
