Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
My son, keep my words, And treasure up my commandments with thee!
2 Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
Keep my commandments and live! Yea, my teaching, as the apple of thine eye!
3 Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Bind them upon thy fingers, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart!
4 Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
Say unto wisdom, “Thou art my sister!” And call understanding thy near acquaintance;
5 that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner 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 out through my lattice.
For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth,
7 I saw 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, 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 Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
And, behold, a woman met him, In the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart, —
11 She is loud and defiant. Her feet do not stay in her house.
One noisy and unruly, Whose feet abide not in her house;
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking 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. Today I have paid my vows.
“Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed my vows;
15 Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
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’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with caresses.
19 For my husband is not at home. He has gone on 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 persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away.
22 He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the chastisement of the fool,
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.
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, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me, And attend to the words of my mouth!
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways. Do not go astray in her paths,
Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways; Go not astray in her paths!
26 for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
For many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her.
