Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.
My son, keep my words, And treasure 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! Yea, 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 tablet 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 near acquaintance;
5 that they may keep you from the adulteress, from the stranger with seductive 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 through the lattice.
For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth,
7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment,
And I saw 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,
He was passing through the street near her corner, And was going the way to her house,
9 at twilight, as the day was fading into the dark of the night.
At twilight, in the evening, At midnight, yea, in the thick darkness.
10 Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.
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 remain at home.
One noisy and unruly, Whose feet abide not in her house;
12 Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
Who is now in the streets, now in the broad places, And lurketh near every corner.
13 She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him:
She caught hold of him and kissed him, And with a shameless face said to him,
14 “I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows.
“Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed 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, —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 bed with coverlets, With tapestry of the thread of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.
I have sprinkled 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 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 took with him a bag of money and will not return till the moon is full.”
He hath taken a purse of money with him; At the day of the full moon he will return.”
21 With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.
By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew 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 goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the chastisement 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 into the snare, And knoweth not that it is laid for its life.
24 Now, my sons, listen to me, and attend 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 aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths.
Let not thy heart turn aside 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 many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her.
