For My Kids 3: Strange Woman v. Virtuous
by Iain Mac an tSaoir

 2Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

 3Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.

 4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:

 5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

 6For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

 7And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

 8Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

 9In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

 10And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

 11(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

 12Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

 13So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

 14I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

 15Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

 16I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

 17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

 18Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

 19For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

 20He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

21With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

 22He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

 23Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

 24Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

 25Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

 26For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

 27Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

 4 Love wisdom like a sister;
      make insight a beloved member of your family.
 5 Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman,
      from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.

 6 While I was at the window of my house,
      looking through the curtain,
 7 I saw some naive young men,
      and one in particular who lacked common sense.
 8 He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman,
      strolling down the path by her house.
 9 It was at twilight, in the evening,
      as deep darkness fell.
 10 The woman approached him,
      seductively dressed and sly of heart.
 11 She was the brash, rebellious type,
      never content to stay at home.
 12 She is often in the streets and markets,
      soliciting at every corner.
 13 She threw her arms around him and kissed him,
      and with a brazen look she said,
 14 "I've just made my peace offerings
      and fulfilled my vows.
 15 You're the one I was looking for!
      I came out to find you, and here you are!
 16 My bed is spread with beautiful blankets,
      with colored sheets of Egyptian linen.
 17 I've perfumed my bed
      with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
 18 Come, let's drink our fill of love until morning.
      Let's enjoy each other's caresses,
 19 for my husband is not home.
      He's away on a long trip.
 20 He has taken a wallet full of money with him
      and won't return until later this month^."

21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
       she seduced him with her smooth talk.

 22 All at once he followed her
       like an ox going to the slaughter,
       like a deer stepping into a noose 

 23 till an arrow pierces his liver,
       like a bird darting into a snare,
       little knowing it will cost him his life.

 24 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
       pay attention to what I say.

 25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways
       or stray into her paths.

 26 Many are the victims she has brought down;
       her slain are a mighty throng.

 27 Her house is a highway to the grave,
       leading down to the chambers of death.

    2Keep my commandments and live, and keep my law and teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye.

    3Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

    4Say to skillful and godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend--

    5That they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adventuress who flatters with and makes smooth her words.

    6For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice.

    7And among the simple (empty-headed and emptyhearted) ones, I perceived among the youths a young man void of good sense,

    8Sauntering through the street near the [loose woman's] corner; and he went the way to her house

    9In the twilight, in the evening; night black and dense was falling [over the young man's life].

    10And behold, there met him a woman, dressed as a harlot and sly and cunning of heart.

    11She is turbulent and willful; her feet stay not in her house;

    12Now in the streets, now in the marketplaces, she sets her ambush at every corner.

    13So she caught him and kissed him and with impudent face she said to him,

    14Sacrifices of peace offerings were due from me; this day I paid my vows.

    15So I came forth to meet you [that you might share with me the feast from my offering]; diligently I sought your face, and I have found you.

    16I have spread my couch with rugs and cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of fine linen of Egypt.

    17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

    18Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us console and delight ourselves with love.

    19For the man is not at home; he is gone on a long journey;

    20He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed [at the full moon].

   21With much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him [to overcome his conscience and his fears] and forces him along.

    22Suddenly he [yields and] follows her reluctantly like an ox moving to the slaughter, like one in fetters going to the correction [to be given] to a fool or like a dog enticed by food to the muzzle

    23Till a dart [of passion] pierces and inflames his vitals; then like a bird fluttering straight into the net [he hastens], not knowing that it will cost him his life.

    24Listen to me now therefore, O you sons, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

    25Let not your heart incline toward her ways, do not stray into her paths.

    26For she has cast down many wounded; indeed, all her slain are a mighty host.

    27Her house is the way to Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead), going down to the chambers of death.

       With with the "allurements of her lips she leads him [to overcome his conscience and his fears", indeed. And she will use all sorts of arguments to justify her immorality and her cause as she seeks to lead to perdition, one who is destined to be just another in a line of men. You will hear, "oh those old morality laws are antiquated; we don't need them anymore; this is the new millenia". If you are talking to a Neo-Pagan type you are likely to hear, "moral laws were craeted only to control people and especially women". They refuse to get that by subjecting ourselves to moral values, we are breaking the chains that have held us captive to our base, fallen, animal natures, and the heartaches, trials, torments, diseases, and destitutions those natures will invariably deliver. The truly crafty will make it very personal and tell that sex is how men and women connect. These will chose to not understand in a working way that men and women should first connect in the eternally lasting ways first, spiritual, mental, and emotional, and only then after marriage in the physical. You will also hear, "oh its just how adults play."  And these in their folly cannot grasp the profound depth of the powers of creative acts, love, and true intimacy.

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