Timeless Advice for All Farang Men in Thailand

My son, pay attention to my wisdom,

listen well to my words of insight,

that you may maintain discretion

and your lips may preserve knowledge.

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey,

And her speech is smoother than oil;

But in the end she is as bitter as gall,

Sharp as a double-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death;

Her steps lead straight to the grave.

She gives no thought to the way of life;

Her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.

Now then, my sons, listen to me;

do not turn aside from what I say.

Keep to a path far from her,

Do not go near the door of her house,

lest you give your best strength to others

And your years to one who is cruel,

lest strangers feast on your wealth,

And your toil enrich another man’s house.

At the end of your life you will groan,

When your flesh and your body are spent.

You will say “How I hated discipline!

How my heart spurned correction!

I would not obey my teachers

Or listen to my instructors.

I have come to the brink of utter ruin

In the midst of the whole assembly.”

Drink water from your own cistern,

Running water from your own well.

Should your springs overflow in the streets,

Your streams of water in the public squares?

Let them be yours alone,

Never to be shared with strangers.

May your fountain be blessed,

And may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

A loving doe, a graceful deer-

May her breasts satisfy you always,

May you ever be captivated by her love.

Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress?

Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?

For a man’s ways are in full view of the Lord,

And he examines all his paths.

The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnares him,

The cord of his sin hold him fast

He will die for lack of discipline

Led astray by his own folly…..

Men do not despise a thief if he steals

To satisfy his hunger when he is starving.

Yet, if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,

Though it costs him all of the wealth of his house.

But a man who commits adultery lacks judgement;

Whoever does so distroys himself.

Blows and disgrace are his lot,

And his shame will never be wiped away;

For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,

And he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

He will not accept any compensation;

He will refuse the bribe, however great it is.

My son, keep my words,

And store up my commands within you.

Keep my commands and you will live;

Guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

Bind them on your fingers;

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister”

And call understanding your kinsman;

They will keep you from the adulteress,

From the wayward wife and her seductive words.

At the window of my house

I looked out through the lattice.

I saw among the simple,

I noticed among the young men,

A youth who lacked judgment.

He was going down the street near her corner,

Walking along in the direction of her house

At twilight, as the day was fading,

As the dark of night set in.

Then out came a woman to meet him,

Dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.

(She is loud and defiant,

Her feet never stay at home;

Now in the street, now in the squares,

At every corner she lurks)

She took hold of him and kissed him

And with a brazen face she said:

“I have fellowship offerings at home;

Today I fulfill my vows.

So I came out to meet you;

I looked for you and I have found you!

I have covered my bed

With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

Come, let’s drink deep of love till morning;

Let’s enjoy ourselves with love!

My husband is not at home;

He has gone on a long journey.

He took his purse filled with money

And will not be home till full moon”

With persuasive words she led him astray;

She seduced him with her smooth talk.

All at once he followed her

Like an ox going to the slaughter,

Like a deer stepping into the noose

Till an arrow pierces his liver

Like a bird darting into a snare,

Little knowing it will cost him his life.

Now then, my sons, listen to me,

Pay attention to what I say.

Do not let your heart turn to her ways

Or stray into her paths.

Many are the victims she has brought down;

Her slain are a mighty throng.

Her house is a highway to the grave,

Leading down to the chambers of death.

[Proverbs 5-7]