Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
Keep my commandments and live, and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Bind them upon thy fingers. Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman,
Say to wisdom, Thou are my sister, and call understanding thy kinswoman,
5 that they may keep you from the adulteress, from the stranger with seductive words.
that they may keep thee from the interloping woman, from the stranger who flatters with her words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked through the lattice.
For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice,
7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment,
and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding
8 crossing the street near her corner, strolling down the road to her house,
passing through the street near her corner. And he went the way to her house,
9 at twilight, as the day was fading into the dark of the night.
in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.
And, behold, there met him a woman attired like a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home.
She is loud and headstrong. Her feet abide not in her house.
12 Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lies in wait at every corner.
13 She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him:
So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him,
14 “I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows.
Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. I have paid my vows this day.
15 So I came out to meet you; I sought you, and I have found you.
Therefore I came forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.
I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.
I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning. Let us delight in loving caresses!
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning. Let us solace ourselves with love.
19 For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.
For the man is not at home. He has gone a long journey.
20 He took with him a bag of money and will not return till the moon is full.”
He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.
21 With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.
With her much fair speech she causes him to yield. With the flattering of her lips she forces him along.
22 He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap,
He goes after her straightaway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
23 until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare— not knowing it will cost him his life.
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.
24 Now, my sons, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Now therefore, ye sons, hearken to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths.
Let not thy heart decline to her ways. Go not astray in her paths.
26 For she has brought many down to death; her slain are many in number.
For she has cast down many wounded. Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
