Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words and treasure 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 teachings 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 Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman,
Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
5 that they may keep you from the adulteress, from the stranger with seductive 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 through the lattice.
Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment,
I saw among the young men one without sense,
8 crossing the street near her corner, strolling down the road to her house,
Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,
9 at twilight, as the day was fading into the dark of the night.
At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.
10 Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.
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 remain at home.
She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
12 Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
13 She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him:
So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:
14 “I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows.
I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
15 So I came out to meet you; I sought you, 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 decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from 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, with aloes, and with cinnamon.
I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning. Let us delight in loving caresses!
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 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 is coming back at the full moon.
21 With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.
With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
22 He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap,
The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
23 until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare— not knowing it will cost him 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, my sons, listen to me, and attend 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 aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths.
Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
26 For she has brought many down to death; her slain are many in number.
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.
