Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
My son, keep my words, And treasure 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! Yea, 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 understanding thy near acquaintance;
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 wife of another, From the stranger, that useth smooth words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice,
For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth,
7 and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding
And I saw among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding.
8 passing through the street near her corner. And he went the way to her house,
He was passing through the street near her corner, And was going 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 twilight, in the evening, At midnight, yea, in the thick darkness.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman attired like a harlot, and wily of heart.
And, behold, a woman met him, In the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart, —
11 She is loud and headstrong. Her feet abide not in her house.
One noisy and unruly, Whose 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.
Who is now in the streets, now in the broad places, And lurketh near every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him,
She caught hold of him and kissed him, And with a shameless face said to him,
14 Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. I have paid my vows this day.
“Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed 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, —Diligently to seek 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 spread my bed with coverlets, With tapestry of the thread of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have sprinkled my bed 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 take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with caresses.
19 For the man is not at home. He has gone a long journey.
For the good-man 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 a purse of money with him; At the day of the full moon he will return.”
21 With her much fair speech she causes him to yield. With the flattering of her lips she forces him along.
By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away.
22 He goes after her straightaway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the chastisement 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 hasteneth into the snare, And knoweth not that it is laid for its life.
24 Now therefore, ye sons, hearken to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to 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 turn aside 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 many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her.
