Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
2 Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;
3 Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
4 Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
5 that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner 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 out through my lattice.
Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
7 I saw 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, 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 Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
11 She is loud and defiant. Her feet do not stay 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 squares, and lurking 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. Today I have paid my vows.
I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
15 Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
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’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.
19 For my husband is not at home. He has gone on 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 persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
22 He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
23 Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and does not know that it will cost 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, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways. Do not go astray in her paths,
Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
26 for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
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.
