Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my precepts with thee. Son,
2 Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;
Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live: and my law as the apple of thy eye:
3 Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
Bind it upon thy fingers, write it upon the tables of thy heart.
4 Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,
5 So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.
That she may keep thee from the woman that is not thine, and from the stranger who sweeteneth her words.
6 Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
For I look out of the window of my house through the lattice,
7 I saw among the young men one without sense,
And I see little ones, I behold a foolish young man,
8 Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,
Who passeth through the street by the corner, and goeth nigh the way of her house.
9 At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.
In the dark, when it grows late, in the darkness and obscurity of the night,
10 And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
And behold a woman meeteth him in harlot’s attire prepared to deceive souls; talkative and wandering,
11 She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,
12 Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.
13 So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:
And catching the young man, she kisseth him, and with an impudent face, flattereth, saying:
14 I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
I vowed victims for prosperity, this day I have paid my vows.
15 So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.
Therefore I am come out to meet thee, desirous to see thee, and I have found thee.
16 My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;
I have woven my bed with cords, I have covered it with painted tapestry, brought from Egypt.
17 I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.
Come, let us be inebriated with the breasts, and let us enjoy the desired embraces, till the day appear.
19 For the master of the house is away on a long journey:
For my husband is not at home, he is gone a very long journey.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.
He took with him a bag of money: he mill return home the day of the full moon.
21 With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.
22 The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
Immediately he followeth her as an ox led to be a victim, and as a lamb playing the wanton, and not knowing that he is drawn like a fool to bonds,
23 Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.
Till the arrow pierce his liver: as if a bird should make haste to the snare, and knoweth not that his life is in danger.
24 So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;
Now therefore, my son, hear me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
Let not thy mind be drawn away in her ways: neither be thou deceived with her paths.
26 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.
For she hath cast down many wounded, and the strongest have been slain by her.
