Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments and live, and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Keep my commandments, and live; and my teaching, as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers. Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
4 Say to wisdom, Thou are my sister, and call understanding thy kinswoman,
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call intelligence [thy] kinswoman:
5 that they may keep thee from the interloping woman, from the stranger who flatters with her words.
that they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice,
For at the window of my house, I looked forth through my lattice,
7 and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding
and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the sons, a young man void of understanding,
8 passing through the street near her corner. And he went the way to her house,
passing through the street near her corner; and he went 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.
in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman attired like a harlot, and wily of heart.
And behold, there met him a woman in the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart.
11 She is loud and headstrong. Her feet abide not in her house.
She is clamorous and unmanageable; her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lies in wait at every corner.
now without, now in the broadways, — and she lieth in wait at every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him,
And she caught him and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14 Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. I have paid my vows this day.
I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows:
15 Therefore I came forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek earnestly thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
I have decked my bed with tapestry coverlets of variegated linen from Egypt;
17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have perfumed my couch with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning. Let us solace ourselves with love.
Come, let us revel in love until the morning, let us delight ourselves with loves.
19 For the man is not at home. He has gone a long journey.
For the husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.
he hath taken the money-bag with him, he will come home on the day of 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 much enticement she beguiled him; with the smoothness of her lips she constrained him.
22 He goes after her straightaway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
He went after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as stocks [serve] for the correction of the fool;
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.
till an arrow strike through his liver: as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for its life.
24 Now therefore, ye sons, hearken to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
And now, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways. Go not astray in her paths.
Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths:
26 For she has cast down many wounded. Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
for she hath cast down many wounded, and all slain by her were strong.
