Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
2 Keep my commandments and live, and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;
3 Bind them upon thy fingers. Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, Thou are my sister, and call understanding thy kinswoman,
Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
5 that they may keep thee from the interloping woman, from the stranger who flatters with her words.
So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice,
Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
7 and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding
I saw among the young men one without sense,
8 passing through the street near her corner. And he went the way to her house,
Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,
9 in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman attired like a harlot, and wily of heart.
And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
11 She is loud and headstrong. Her feet abide not in her house.
She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lies in wait at every corner.
Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him,
So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:
14 Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. I have paid my vows this day.
I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
15 Therefore I came forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;
17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning. Let us solace ourselves with love.
Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.
19 For the man is not at home. He has gone a long journey.
For the master of the house is away on a long journey:
20 He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.
He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.
21 With her much fair speech she causes him to yield. With the flattering of her lips she forces him along.
With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
22 He goes after her straightaway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
23 till an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hastens to the snare. And he does not know that it is for his life.
Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.
24 Now therefore, ye sons, hearken to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways. Go not astray in her paths.
Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
26 For she has cast down many wounded. Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.
