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 teaching 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 table of thy heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman,
Say unto wisdom: 'Thou art 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 strange woman, from the alien woman that maketh smooth 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 thoughtless 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 blackness of night and 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 with the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home.
She is riotous and rebellious, 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 lieth in wait at every corner.
13 She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him:
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him:
14 “I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows.
'Sacrifices of peace-offerings were due from me; this day have I paid my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you; I sought you, and I have found you.
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.
I have decked my couch with coverlets, 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 loves.
19 For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.
For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
20 He took with him a bag of money and will not return till the moon is full.”
He hath taken the 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 causeth him to yield, with the blandishment of her lips she enticeth him away.
22 He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap,
He goeth after her straightway, as an ox that goeth to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;
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 strike through his liver; as a bird hasteneth to the snare — and knoweth not that it is at the cost of his life.
24 Now, my sons, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto 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 hath cast down many wounded; yea, a mighty host are all her slain.
